Zürich's Wood-Fired District Heating Plant to Get First Overhaul in 50 Years
The city of Zürich has approved CHF 36 million for a full renovation of the Heizkraftwerk Aubrugg, a landmark industrial facility that has been quietly heating thousands of homes in the city's northeast since the 1970s.
The plant sits in the highway triangle at Zürich-Nord and is integrated into Switzerland's second-largest district heating network. Each year it processes around 70,000 tonnes of locally sourced wood chips — all from forests within a 50km radius — generating 110,000 megawatt-hours of heat for roughly 21,000 households and 40,000 megawatt-hours of electricity for around 10,000 more. Gas boilers on site provide backup capacity during peak demand.
Why Now
The building is over 50 years old and has never been comprehensively renovated. A particular problem is rainwater running off the motorway bridges that pass directly above the facility, which has caused ongoing structural issues. Early plans for a partial renovation were abandoned once it became clear a full overhaul was unavoidable.
What the Renovation Includes
The scope is extensive — every part of the building is being touched. Building systems will be renewed from the service offices through to the chimney, the façade overhauled, and energy efficiency significantly improved. A rooftop solar installation will be added, a new low-carbon cooling system installed, and the building automation system completely rebuilt. The renovation will be carried out while the plant remains operational, with construction beginning in early 2027 and commissioning targeted for the fourth quarter of 2028.
The CHF 36 million in execution costs follows roughly CHF 6 million already approved for planning in 2022 and 2025, and will be financed entirely from ewz's own revenues — no public subsidy required. The project was transferred to ewz in 2025 following the integration of the district heating business from Entsorgung + Recycling Zürich.
One additional constraint: the building — originally designed by architect Pierre Zoelly — has been listed as a protected structure of supra-municipal significance, meaning every aspect of the renovation must be coordinated with the cantonal heritage preservation authority.
