The comprehensively renovated Sihl-Höfe hydropower plant in the canton of Schwyz was inaugurated in September after approx. 16 months of construction activity.

The ceremonial handover to the operators was conducted by the head of the district of Höfe, Mrs. Yolanda Fumagalli. The investment of approximately 3 mio. Swiss francs ensured the operators, EW Höfe AG, can rely on the plant operating for several decades to come, and on being able to provide regionally-produced electricity from renewable energy sources for 2,000 homes. The plant officially went online in 1961, and over the course of its almost 60-year working life has produced around half a billion kilowatt-hours of green electricity. Revitalisation work involved replacing infrastructure such as the Francis turbine, the generator, machine control infrastructure and water regulation automation. Furthermore, the old, open-access 16 kV switchgear was exchanged for a modern, multiple-isolation, airtight set-up.