Mobile Solar Power Plant on Railway Tracks: Innovation in Switzerland
26.06.2025Swiss startup Sun-Ways has implemented a revolutionary technology—a mobile solar power plant installed directly between the tracks of an active railway line. This is the first project in the world that combines solar energy with transport infrastructure, marking a significant step forward in the development of green technologies.
16 MWh of electricity generated annually for the local grid.
Mobility: a special track-laying train, Scheuchzer, capable of installing up to 1,000 m² of panels in just a few hours.
Self-cleaning panels: equipped with a brush system that cleans the panels during train movement.
How Does the Mobile Solar Power Plant Work?
After a series of tests and receiving approval from the Swiss Federal Transport Office in October 2024, the system was put into operation. The first passenger trains began running through this line with the new solar power stationin April 2025.
In the next three years, Sun-Ways aims to scale this technology across 5,000 km of railway tracks in Switzerland, allowing for the installation of up to 2.5 million solar panels! This will generate 1 TWh of electricity annually, which represents 2% of the country’s total energy needs.
Sun-Ways plans to directly power trains with solar energy, making them self-sufficient and reducing the need for traditional energy sources.
The project has attracted attention from delegations in Belgium, France, Indonesia, Israel, and South Korea. Sun-Waysis negotiating the implementation of this technology in Germany, Austria, Italy, the USA, and Asian countries.
Sources: Sun-Ways, CleanTechnica, PV Magazine.
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