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Former Chavalon (Vouvry) oil-fired power plant

Former Chavalon (Vouvry) oil-fired power plant in the canton of Valais in Switzerland, built between 1963 and 1965. The plant stands on the Chavalon balcony above Vouvry at an altitude of 825 m, around 450 m above the Rhône plain. This elevated location was deliberately chosen for its favorable ventilation conditions, allowing emissions to disperse more effectively and reducing pollution in the valley.

Switzerland’s first and only oil-fired power station produced up to 300 MW of electricity from 1965 until 1999. It consumed approximately 32 tonnes of heavy fuel oil per hour, delivered via an 11 km pipeline from the Collombey refinery in the valley. Water required to generate steam for the turbines was drawn from the Stockalper Canal. Following decades of operation and mounting financial losses, the plant was decommissioned in 1999.

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building Chavalon chimney cooling tower crude oil electricity energy energy source Europe fossil fuel HILLS & VALLEYS home house houses mountain natuur oil oil power oil-fired pine tree power plant residence residential building Rhône Valley rock Schweiz Suisse Switzerland tree Valais valley Vouvry Wallis

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11-Jan-2026 23:29:39

24-Feb-2026 19:38:33

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