Yesterday, Thursday 24th April, the world’s first solar power plant to be installed on an operational railway line was officially switched on in the Neuchâtel mountains in Switzerland.

Sun-Ways inaugurated the switch-on in the presence of representatives from the Swiss Federal Railways, the Federal Office of Transport, the Neuchâtel State Ministry, and Laurent Favre, the Head of the Department of Territorial Development and the Environment.

Also attending the event were delegations from France, Belgium, Israel, Indonesia, and South Korea who would like to develop the technology in their own countries.

Switzerland has a target to generate 28 TWh by solar power by 2035, a seven-fold increase on current generation capacity, but large areas for such power plants are becoming increasingly scarce.

Utilising Switzerland’s 5,000 km of railway lines, the technology could produce 1 TWh/year, which is equivalent to the consumption of 300,000 households.

It could also provide 30% of the electricity needed for public transport and save 200,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.

The Sun-Ways power plant has 48 solar panels, each generating 385 Watts, providing a total output of 18 kilowatts, equivalent to an annual 16,000 kWh, with connection to the public grid being 500 metres from the site.

Three years of tests will now be carried out to determine the effect on the coating of the solar panels, their soiling, and their impact on the railway infrastructure. These tests will assess whether a removable solar power plant between the rails is compatible with an operational railway line.

Also demonstrated at the switch-on was a PUMA machine developed by Scheuchzer SA, which can install up to 150 solar panels per hour and provide a fast and efficient deployment of the Sun-Ways power plants.

In the UK, both Govia Thameslink Railway and South Western Railway are deriving the benefits of solar power installations on their property.

“This is just the beginning. We’re already working with the HES-SO Valais on a railway Smart Grid to supply trains directly with solar energy.”

Joseph Scuderi, head of Sun-Ways