Largest Single Order in EWS Company History
EWS is building the complete power distribution system for the Schilliger LIGNATHERM wood fiber insulation board plant in Küssnacht am Rigi. Four specialized areas of 'Team Red' collaborated: Grid and Infrastructure Construction, Data Networks, Switchgear Construction, and Renewable Energy.
EWS AG has planned, built, and commissioned the entire electrical power distribution system for Schilliger Holz's new wood fiber insulation board plant. This is the largest single order in the over 130-year history of the Schwyz-based energy utility. In approximately 11,000 working hours, Team Red installed, among other things, 50 tons of copper, nine transformers, and a photovoltaic system with 2,100 modules.
A plant with a signaling effect for Swiss timber construction
In the Fänn industrial area in Küssnacht am Rigi, Schilliger Holz AG has invested over CHF 100 million in the LIGNATHERM wood fiber insulation board plant. The facility will process up to 50,000 tons of wood chips annually using a dry process into high-quality wood fiber insulation boards for roofs, walls, facades, and interior fittings. Schilliger LIGNATHERM is the only wood fiber insulation board in Switzerland that will bear the "Swiss Wood" label. With this plant, Schilliger Holz is closing a gap in the Swiss timber chain that had existed since the closure of the Pavatex plant in Cham in 2019. Around 50 new jobs are being created in the region.
From inquiry to record order
In autumn 2023, Tobias Osterwalder, Managing Director of Lignatherm AG, approached EWS AG with a specific request: Could EWS handle the complete electrical power distribution for the new production line? Ralph Föhn, Project Manager for Grid and Infrastructure Construction, agreed. Approximately two and a half years passed from the first offer in October 2023 to the completion of all work in spring 2026.
"Looking back on the project today, I only now realize how extensive this order was. For me personally, it was one of the most exciting projects I have ever had the pleasure of leading. A true milestone in the history of EWS."
Ralph Föhn, Project Manager Grid and Infrastructure Construction, EWS AG
"The realization of the plant is a decisive milestone for us in implementing the vision of seamless value creation through holistic wood utilization."
Tobias Osterwalder, Managing Director of Lignatherm AG
All disciplines from a single source
EWS AG's scope of services covered five core areas: For medium voltage and power distribution, EWS installed three transformer stations with a total of nine 2,500 kVA transformers. Each transformer weighs around 6.5 tons. In addition, three kilometers of medium-voltage cables with cross-sections from 50 to 240 mm² were laid. For the main distributions and switchgear, four main distributions of 4,000 amperes each were designed and built. Each one measures between ten and 20 meters in length; 15 tons of copper busbars were used for this. EWS mounted 2,100 PV modules with nine inverters on 4,000 square meters of roof space. The total output of the photovoltaic system is 900 kVA. For cabling and data networks, twelve kilometers of low-voltage cables and one kilometer of fiber optic cables were laid. In total, around 50 tons of copper were used. All components – from the grounding systems and medium voltage to the transformers and the PV system – were installed and commissioned on-site by EWS.
Independent planning
EWS AG handled all planning work independently. This required taking complex regulatory requirements into account: Different standards and responsibilities (including ESTI, SUVA, Labor Inspectorate, Machinery Directives) had to be clarified and correctly applied. Added to this were logistical challenges: large distances on the construction site, significant weights, considerable working heights, and rolling scheduling, as construction-related delays constantly influenced the electrical installation. Copper contracts had to be secured early to ensure the required quantities were available on schedule.
Four areas, extensive know-how
Four specialized areas of EWS AG worked together at Lignatherm AG: the Grid and Infrastructure Construction team (planning, engineering, project management, installation), the Data Networks team (fiber optic infrastructure), the Switchgear Construction team (main distributions and switchgear), and the Renewable Energy team (photovoltaic system).
To the project report with video: www.ews.ch/referenzen/lignatherm
