Grande Dixence

The Grande Dixence facility collects the runoff from 35 glaciers in the canton of Valais. The jewel in the facility's crown is the Grande-Dixence dam, the highest gravity dam in the world. The water from the reservoir plummets down to the Fionnay and Nendaz power stations. The volume of electricity produced by Grande Dixence corresponds to one fifth of the storage energy generated in Switzerland.

Fionnay power plant - alt. 1490 m

6 Pelton turbines – Total capacity: 290 MW
Gross head: 874 m

Nendaz power plant - alt. 478 m

6 Pelton turbines – Total capacity: 390 MW
Gross head: 1008 m

The Grande Dixence facility is supplemented by facilities belonging to Cleuson-Dixence (Bieudron power station) and Chandoline power station.

Grande Dixence dam - alt. 2365 m

Built: 1950 - 1961
Commissioned: 1961
Type: gravity dam
Height: 285 m
Crest: 700 m
Reservoir capacity: 400 mn. m3
Area: 4.04 km2
Catchment area: 46.3 km2

Ferpècle dam - alt. 1896 m

Built: 1962
Commissioned: 1964
Type: arch dam
Height: 25.5 m
Crest: 91 m
Reservoir capacity: 109 000 m3
Area: 1.1 ha

Z’Mutt dam - alt. 1972 m

Built: 1962
Commissioned: 1964
Type: arch dam
Height: 74 m
Crest: 144 m
Reservoir capacity: 840 000 m3
Area: 4 ha

Pumping stations

Arolla – 17,300 m3
Capacity 48.6 MW, max. discharge rate 12.6 m3/s

Ferpècle – 109,000 m3
Capacity 21.3 MW, max. discharge rate 8.4 m3/s

Stafel - 90,000 m3
Capacity 26.4 MW, max. discharge rate 9.9 m3/s

Z'Mutt - 840,000 m3
Capacity 86.5 MW, max. discharge rate 17.4 m3/s

• www.grande-dixence.ch
• Grande-Dixence: Webcam with a view of the dam