Martigny-Bourg run-of-river power plant

The Martigny-Bourg power plant was put into operation in 1908 and utilises the water on the Swiss side of the Grand Saint-Bernard mountain pass. Between 2009 and 2013, Forces Motrices de Martigny-Bourg SA overhauled the power station, increasing the output of the turbines and improving the plant’s efficiency. The power plant operators also installed a photovoltaic system on the refurbished roof. With a total surface of 520 square meters, the 320 modules generate approximately 80,000 kWh of electricity per year. They supplement the 70.1 million kWh, which the run-of-the-river power plant generates each year.

Very low head turbine

Forces Motrices de Martigny-Bourg (FMMB) commissioned in 2024 Switzerland's first very low head (VLH) turbine. Installed in the tailrace of the Martigny-Bourg run-of-river power plant, the turbine generates some 850,000 kWh per year, equivalent to the average annual consumption of almost 200 households. It therefore optimises the hydropower available on the site, with no additional impact on the environment.