Energy resources
Switzerland has a high per capita consumption of energy resources. Its energy requirements are covered by various sources: fossil fuels such as combustibles and motor fuels make up the largest portion thereof.
© SGTK
Summary
Energy forms the basis for almost all aspects of modern man. Switzerland has limited energy reserves at its disposal and imports more than three quarters of the required energy sources such as petroleum, natural gas or nuclear fuel from abroad. Hydropower, wood and other renewable energy types constitute domestic energy sources. Together these cover less than 20 percent of the total demand.
Renewable energy should be promoted
As a result of the increasing energy demand and declining reserves of fossil fuels, Switzerland must in the coming decades make great efforts to promote renewable resource types such as sun, wind, geothermal energy or biomass. Among renewable energy resources, geology only plays a central role in the geothermal energy.
Who is who
Various public offices and private organizations provide information on energy resources in Switzerland. Here is a selection:
Data
Documentation, reports, databases and maps on energy resources in Switzerland are issued by professional associations and societies.
Statistics
You will obtain statistics on various aspects of energy in Switzerland from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy.
Scientific studies
You can obtain the results of scientific studies on energy resources in a geological context, for example coal or uranium in Switzerland, from the Georesources Switzerland Group.
Geodata
The Geological Data Viewer (Topic Geology in map.geo.admin.ch) and the Atlas of Switzerland provide map-based representations of energy resource occurrences in Switzerland.
Collections
Several extensive collections on energy resources (hand specimens and rock thin sections) are maintained by the Georesources Switzerland Group and can be viewed by prior appointment.
Georesources Switzerland Group
NO F35
Sonneggstrasse 5
CH-8092 Zurich
- Tel.
- +41 44 632 37 28
Fossil fuels: deposits