Organisation: Grande Dixence

Founded in 1950, Grande Dixence S.A. is the leading supplier of electrical power in both Switzerland and Europe. The company is based in Sion and owns a group of hydroelectric installations in the Valaisian Alps. The Grande Dixence complex collects water from 35 glaciers in the Valais, from the Mattertal (the Zermatt area) to the Val d’Hérens. The jewel in the crown of this complex is the Grande Dixence dam, which collects and stores the water from these glaciers and was first brought into service in 1957. Today, it is still the tallest gravity dam in the world, standing 285 metres high. Its weight, 15 million tonnes, makes it heavier than the Great Pyramid of Cheops. The output from Grande Dixence S.A. represents a fifth of Switzerland’s storable energy. The company can produce peak energy when required, and is also able to produce super-peak energy.