World Power Plants

Verbano 1 is a 119 MW hydroelectric power plant located in Switzerland. Commissioned in 1953, it generates electricity using the kinetic energy of flowing water. Verbano 1 ranks as the 20th largest hydro plant in Switzerland. With a capacity of 119 MW, it represents 1.21% of Switzerland's total hydro capacity of 9,831 MW. Switzerland has 162 hydro plants with a combined capacity of approximately 9,800 MW. Compared to the largest hydro plant in Switzerland, Bieudron at 1,285 MW, Verbano 1 is about 9.3% the size. Hydropower is a primary source of energy in Switzerland, contributing around 56% of the country's electricity generation. The mountainous terrain and numerous rivers facilitate hydroelectric power production. Verbano 1 is located approximately 70 km from Zurich in the central region of Switzerland.

Capacity
119 MW
Commissioning Year
1953

73 years old

Owner
Axpo Holding AG
Location
46.1201°, 8.7118°

Switzerland, Europe

Context & rankings
  • 24. largest of 168 plants in Switzerland
  • #9,389 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #2,103 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
  • 0.9% of the installed capacity of Switzerland
Age & fleet comparison

73 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

Axpo Holding AG operates 19 plants totalling 2,462 MW

Regional density

119 plants within 100 km, 15,154 MW combined

Nearest plant: Roncovalgrande Hydroelectric Plant (5.8 km)

Data provenance

Location

Coordinates:: 46.120100, 8.711800
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Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Verbano 1 is a hydro power plant producing approximately 417 GWh of clean electricity per year with zero direct CO₂ emissions during operation.

Lifecycle emissions: ~24 g CO₂/kWh (manufacturing, transport, decommissioning)

Technical Details

Primary Fuel Type
Hydro
Energy Source
Renewable
Country
Switzerland
Continent
Europe
Data Source
Global Power Plant Database

SwitzerlandEnergy Profile

168
Total Plants
13.3 GW
Total Capacity
HydroNuclearSolar
Top Fuels

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