Hydrogen and e-fuels and their potential role in future energy systems are hotly debated topics. Using The modelling platform Nexus-e, a team of researchers at the Energy Science Center at ETH has looked at the potential role of imported or domestic hydrogen or e-methane for the Swiss electricity system.

Energy Infrastructure Partners and the Energy Science Center at ETH Zurich have signed a research collaboration. In this collaboration, EIP and ESC under the lead of Dr. Marius Schwarz have developed scenarios for the future of Switzerland’s electricity system and tested several shock scenarios. Results show that reducing grid transfer capacities to 30 percent in 2050 as an unforeseen shock or drastically reducing the availability of nuclear power plants in France as the same type of shock does not result in supply issues. Only the scenario forcing Switzerland to keep a balanced winter trade balance results in supply issues.