News

Over the course of three days, two decentralized hNEA units (200 and 400), equipped with additional battery energy storage systems (BESS), will supply BKW Energie AG’s customers in the Rychenbach Valley and the Schattenhalb hydroelectric power plant via a self-sufficient “Micro Power Grid” island network. For the first time, two hNEA units are simultaneously feeding active and reactive power into the grid individually.

At the 11th EXPO Energietechnik in Niederurnen, an autonomous off-grid system supplied the entire trade show with electricity for the first time – without using a single drop of diesel. The organizers billed it as the world’s first CO₂-free electrical trade show. This was made possible by an hNEA 400 and an hNEA 200 connect operating in conjunction with an external battery storage system (575 kWh) and a mobile PV system. The project was implemented by BKW Power Grid, Jost AG Energietechnik, and Atlas Copco.

In June 2025, four hNEAs equipped with a battery storage system and a decentralized PV system independently operated a real 16-kV grid with 17 substations for approximately six hours – disconnected from the higher-level grid and without using diesel generators. Documented in the Electrosuisse Bulletin 7/2025.

At the 2025 Swisssolar Conference, Jost AG Energietechnik presented the results of the Aarberg field test and the consumption figures from continuous operation at BKW.

The new Jost AG Contact Letter is here – featuring articles by Patrick Bay (Managing Director of the Tibram Group), on the hNEA 200 and 400, the REW 55 cable winch on a crawler chassis for Brugg Pipes, the cable pulling seminar, and the Jost AG sales team. Read more in the Contact Letter 2024.

At the “Micro Grid” Technology Day in Aarberg, an hNEA 200 and an hNEA 400 simultaneously supplied power to seven substations in the region for the first time – entirely without diesel fuel. The hNEA integrated electricity from PV systems and hydropower into the isolated grid. The project was carried out in collaboration with BKW Power Grid.

The hNEA 200 connect introduced a stationary version – a battery storage system, inverter, and transformer without its own diesel engine, designed for connection to an existing emergency power system.

At the EXPO Energietechnik, held August 30–31, 2023, in Niederurnen, Jost AG showcased its hybrid emergency power system up close, along with products from its cable pulling division.

At EES, Europe’s largest trade fair for batteries and energy storage, Jost AG Energietechnik showcased its hNEA hybrid emergency power system (Booth C2/160).

In 2022, BKW commissioned two hNEA 200 units and decommissioned two conventional emergency power generators as a result. At the Emmenmatt site, this led to a massive drop in diesel consumption in 2023 – approximately 80% less diesel was used than in previous years. In addition, maintenance costs for the diesel generators were about two-thirds lower than for comparable conventional systems. Read more in the customer magazine “contact” 01|24.