Energy supplier for electricity, heat, gas and water in the city and region of Bern – incl. waste incineration and telecom
Energie Wasser Bern
Bern (Monbijoustrasse 11, head office) · Power plant locations domestic and abroadNew on Amplifa
Energie Wasser Bern – Utility of the City of Bern
Energie Wasser Bern (ewb) is an independent public-law company owned by the City of Bern and provides the city and region of Bern with electricity, district heating, district cooling, gas and water. In addition, ewb operates waste incineration, fiber-optic telecommunications (ewb.DARKFIBER) as well as contracting models for heating, cooling and photovoltaic systems that include planning, construction, financing and operation. The Forsthaus energy plant processes around 110'000 tonnes of waste per year and produces 360 GWh of electricity and 290 GWh of heat from it. Other facilities are run-of-river hydropower plants, photovoltaic installations, wood-fired heating plants and combined heat and power plants; the renovated Engehalde substation supplies around 35'000 customers. Customers are private households, SMEs, major customers and wholesale partners in Switzerland (city and region of Bern). The head office with customer service is located at Monbijoustrasse 11 in Bern.
- Site
- Bern
- Processes
- District heating supply (combustion of waste, wood and gas at the Forsthaus energy plant), Waste incineration (energy recovery from waste: 110'000 tonnes/year, 360 GWh electricity, 290 GWh, Photovoltaic systems (production and contracting), Run-of-river hydropower plants, Wood-fired heating plants (wood chip firing system, e.g. 1'600 kW Schönberg-Ost), Combined heat and power plants, Heating/cooling contracting (planning, construction, financing and operation of systems), Energy consulting/energy efficiency programs
- Materials
- Waste incineration, Wood chips, Biogas and natural gas, Hydropower, Photovoltaics
- Certificates
- GRI sustainability report
- Industries
- Energy supply (electricity, heat, gas, water), Telecommunications, Waste incineration
- 01
Energy generation (waste incineration, hydropower, photovoltaics, wood-fired
- 02
Grid operation electricity/gas/water/district heating
- 03
Distribution and metering service (installation, maintenance, meter reading)
- 04
Sales and customer portals
- 05
Energy consulting and contracting
Systems and Energy Sources
Waste incineration
At the Forsthaus energy plant, 110'000 t/year are processed into 360 GWh of electricity and 290 GWh of heat.
Wood chips
Low-CO₂ heat from regional wood chips, e.g. wood chip boiler with 1'600 kW in the Schönberg-Ost district heating network.
Biogas and natural gas
Supply and peak load coverage, e.g. two gas heating boilers with 2'800 kW in Schönberg-Ost.
Hydropower
Run-of-river hydropower plants as a reliable source of renewable electricity production.
Photovoltaics
Production and contracting of solar power systems, incl. local electricity communities (ewb.LEG).
Locations
Bern
CHHead office, customer service, grid operation and Forsthaus energy plant
- Materials
- Waste, wood, gas, water
- Forsthaus energy plant (360 GWh electricity/year, 290 GWh heat/year)
- Engehalde substation (switchgear and transformers, in operation since Oct. 2024)
- Wood chip boiler 1'600 kW (Schönberg-Ost)
- Gas heating boilers 2x 1'400 kW (Schönberg-Ost)
Systems and Services
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District heating supply (combustion of waste, wood and gas at the Forsthaus energy plant)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Waste incineration (energy recovery from waste: 110'000 tonnes/year, 360 GWh electricity, 290 GWhEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Photovoltaic systems (production and contracting)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Run-of-river hydropower plantsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Wood-fired heating plants (wood chip firing system, e.g. 1'600 kW Schönberg-Ost)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Combined heat and power plantsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Heating/cooling contracting (planning, construction, financing and operation of systems)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Energy consulting/energy efficiency programsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Grid operation electricity/gas/water/district heating incl. metering service (installation,Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Biogas and natural gas supplyEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
4 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substation (switchgear and transformers) | Engehalde substation | 1 | Supply of around 35'000 customers | 2024 (Inbe | Bern |
| Energy plant (waste incineration with electricity, steam and district heat production) | Forsthaus energy plant | 1 | 360 GWh electricity/year, 290 GWh heat/year | – | Bern |
| Gas heating boiler | – | 2 | 2'800 kW installed capacity | – | Schönberg-Ost district, Bern |
| Wood firing system (wood chip boiler) | – | 1 | 1'600 kW installed capacity | 2015 (Inbe | Schönberg-Ost district, Bern |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Standards
Work on construction sites is planned and implemented on the basis of binding company standards with technical specifications, standards and process descriptions for all media sectors. Publication of a supplementary sustainability report according to GRI standards.
| Evidence | Bern |
|---|---|
| GRI sustainability report |
History
- 1932
Engehalde substation has supplied the city of Bern with electricity since 1932
- 2015
Commissioning of the Schönberg-Ost district heating network (58 buildings, 7'300 MWh/a, 20-year contract duration)
- 2021
Start of renovation works on the gasworks site
- 2022
Annual report: profit of CHF 69.6 million
- 2024
New Engehalde substation building completed; new facility went into operation in October 2024
- 2025
Annual report: profit CHF 34.7 million (2024: 90.3 million); production loss at Gösgen nuclear power plant and Federal Supreme Court ruling as special effects
- 2026
Completion of the renewal of the Engehalde substation; launch of ewb.LEG with the City of Bern
- 2027
Decided reduction of electricity tariffs as of 1 January 2027; gas phase-out in the municipality of Köniz from 2041 with the construction of district heating networks in Wabern and Niederwangen