Seven companies in Eastern Switzerland found a heating company for a climate-friendly heat supply

EKT Holding AG, the municipality of Uzwil, the local municipality of Wil, St.Gallisch-Appenzellische Kraftwerke AG, Schmid AG energy solutions, Technische Betriebe Flawil and Technische Betriebe Wil have jointly founded Wärme Netz Ostschweiz AG (WNO). As a supra-regional energy service provider, WNO supports municipalities as well as private and business customers in switching to a sustainable heat supply. The aim of the new company is to develop and operate innovative and climate-friendly integrated heating solutions in Eastern Switzerland.

The seven founding partners contribute extensive experience and expertise in the areas of project development and grid operation, system integration and sustainable energy generation. The purpose of WNO is the financing, project development, planning, sales, construction and operation of integrated heating solutions in the eastern Swiss cantons of Thurgau, St. Gallen, Appenzell Innerrhoden and Ausserrhoden as well as in neighboring regions. Marco Huwiler, Member of the Board of Directors of WNO and Managing Director of Technische Betriebe Wil, explains: "The founding of WNO is a decisive step towards a climate-friendly heat supply in Eastern Switzerland. Together, we are driving forward the energy transition, strengthening our region and using innovative technologies."

Focus on climate-friendly heating
The heating sector accounts for around 50 percent of energy consumption in Switzerland and is responsible for over 35 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. The WNO has set itself the goal of replacing fossil fuels with renewable heating solutions and thus making a significant contribution to the climate target of net zero by 2050, which many municipalities in Switzerland are pursuing in connection with the federal government's energy strategy. At the heart of this strategy are modern heating networks that use waste heat sources and renewable energies to generate CO2-free heating solutions from waste heat sources and renewable energies, thus contributing to the decarbonization of Eastern Switzerland.

Regional added value and benefits
The respective local communities and regional companies are involved in the construction and operation of the heating networks. The merger makes it possible to pool expertise and make optimum use of financial and human resources. This particularly benefits municipalities and localities that do not have the resources for such projects.

Next steps and initial projects
By mid-2025, the focus will be on constituting the WNO. This includes building up staff, developing the business principles and financing solutions as well as discussions with interested municipalities and potential additional shareholders. The first project development in a municipality is scheduled to start in mid-2025.
Further projects will be tackled on an ongoing basis. In particular, municipalities with existing gas grids will be considered in order to accelerate the gas phase-out that has been decided in many places and to cushion financial losses for energy suppliers. Existing customer relationships and heat data will be optimally utilized.

Contact for queries
If you have any queries or require further information, please contact Marco Huwiler, member of the Board of Directors of Wärme Netz Ostschweiz AG (WNO) and Managing Director of Technische Betriebe Wil,
on +41 79 216 72 24 or by e-mail at wno@tb-wil.ch.

Overview of the founding shareholders (in alphabetical order):

EKT Holding AG
EKT is the cantonal energy supplier with experience in the development, construction and operation of
heating networks. It is interested in exploiting synergies for the operation and maintenance of thermal energy networks, in particular with the operation of energy centers. EKT provides WNO with technical expertise and resources.

Municipality of Uzwil
The municipality of Uzwil and its Uzwil technical operations want to offer a promising alternative to gas, but are too small to set up and operate a heating network themselves. The municipality of Uzwil is interested in implementing its own district heating network with WNO, whereby Uzwil's technical operations can support and supplement the portfolio of tasks.

Municipality of Wil SG
The local community of Wil is the owner and manager of properties in Wil SG as well as forest corporations with their own forest. The local community can play the role of a biomass
biomassfuel supplier as well as the interests for possible local heating networks for its own properties.

St.Gallisch Appenzellische Kraftwerke AG (SAK)
SAK is a cross-cantonal energy supplier with experience in the development, construction and operation of heating networks and is interested in jointly developing and operating thermal energy networks within the defined perimeter in line with the objectives of the WNO. SAK can contribute its technical expertise and resources to the WNO, particularly in the area of technical operation.

Schmid AG energy solutions
Schmid energy solutions, Eschlikon TG, is a leading manufacturer and supplier of environmentally friendly firing systems for thermal energy centers. Schmid also designs and implements sustainable energy projects that are tailored to the conditions of the heating plant and thus achieve maximum efficiency. The combination of biomass firing systems, heat recovery systems and large heat pumps contributes enormously to increasing the efficiency of heating plants and is being actively developed further by Schmid. As a system integrator, Schmid can therefore offer WNO holistic technology solutions for efficient and sustainable energy centers.

Technische Betriebe Flawil (TBF)
As an independent public-law company owned by the municipality of Flawil, TBF supplies over 15,000 customers with electricity, gas, water, communications and innovative energy services. TBF has experience in the operation of network infrastructure, operates a gas network in Flawil and the surrounding municipalities and is currently developing the Flawil district heating system.

Technische Betriebe Wil (TBW)
As a dependent energy services company under public law owned by the city of Wil SG, TBW supplies over 40,000 customers regionally with electricity, heat/gas, drinking water and telecommunications and provides them with innovative energy services. As a technical plant, TBW has experience in the operation of grid infrastructure, operates an extensive gas grid with a perimeter in the city of Wil and 13 surrounding municipalities and is currently building the district heating network in Wil.