The Rasoira Hydropower Plant Unlocks Ticino's Untapped Energy Potential

Hydropower and Sustainable Infrastructure: The Rasoira Power Plant Unlocks Ticino's Untapped Energy Potential

In the heart of the Blenio Valley, a modest yet strategically important infrastructure project demonstrates how innovation can also stem from making better use of existing assets. Built for Officine Idroelettriche di Blenio SA (OFIBLE), the new Rasoira Hydropower Plant is a tangible example of how existing infrastructure can be enhanced to generate renewable energy with minimal environmental impact.

The facility harnesses a previously unused hydraulic head along the approximately 17-kilometre Olivone–Malvaglia tunnel, which connects the Luzzone and Malvaglia reservoirs. By recovering this untapped potential energy, the plant generates around 8 GWh of electricity per year, contributing to the Canton of Ticino's energy security and supporting Switzerland's decarbonisation objectives.

The civil works were delivered by the Rasoira Consortium, formed by CSC Costruzioni and Matteo Muttoni Costruzioni SA, combining extensive expertise in major infrastructure and underground construction projects. The project required highly specialised engineering capabilities to build underground caverns, tunnels and associated works within a challenging alpine environment, while minimising the impact on existing infrastructure and the surrounding landscape.

The project's scale is reflected in its key figures: more than 8,000 cubic metres of excavation, approximately 2,000 cubic metres of concrete, and a total investment of around CHF 15 million. Commissioned in 2023, the plant forms part of a broader strategy promoted by Ticino's energy utilities and public institutions to expand renewable energy production.

The Rasoira Hydropower Plant demonstrates that the infrastructure of the future is not only about building new assets, but also about unlocking the value of existing ones—transforming previously untapped potential into clean energy, greater energy resilience and long-term value for the region.