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Villages / Valais / Hérens district / Grande Dixence

Grande Dixence

Site Canton of Valais · District: Hérens · Uninhabited site (municipality of Hérémence)
Part of the municipality of Hérémence
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Must-see historical sites Remains Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Grande Dixence

The « Grande » Dixence succeeded the Dixence, the first dam in the Val des Dix, built in 1929-1935 and now submerged under the Lac des Dix.[1][2]

Founding of Grande Dixence

The dam stands at the head of the Val des Dix, in the municipality of Hérémence, whose territory covers the whole Dixence basin. It succeeded the Dixence buttress dam, built by Energie Ouest Suisse (EOS) after it obtained the concession, originally held by Aluminium Industrie AG (AIAG, Alusuisse). The company Grande Dixence SA, founded in 1950 by EOS, IWB, BKW and NOK, then built a 285-metre gravity dam whose crest stands at 2'365 metres.[1][2][3]

History of Grande Dixence

1929-1935. EOS builds the first Dixence, a buttress dam holding 50 million m³, whose water is turbined at the Chandoline power station (1930-1935 according to another source).[1][2][3]

1950. Grande Dixence SA is founded by EOS, IWB, BKW and NOK.[1]

1950-1964. The gravity dam is built (work from 1951 to 1965 according to another source). The building site gives new impetus to the economy of Hérémence.[1][2][3]

1961. The new dam goes into service, replacing the first Dixence, which now lies under the Lac des Dix.[1][2]

1965. The Grande Dixence scheme is completed.[2]

1993-1998. The Cleuson-Dixence scheme is built with Alpiq, increasing production capacity 2.5 times and feeding the Bieudron power station on the Rhône.[1][2]

2001. Partnership with Elektrizitätswerk Zermatt AG, in which Grande Dixence SA has held 45% since November.[1][2]

2003. Grande Dixence SA, EOS and Walliser Elektrizitätsgesellschaft AG found HYDRO Exploitation SA in Sion (June 2002 according to another source).[1][2]

Historic sites in Grande Dixence

Dam. Gravity dam 285 metres high, 200 metres thick at the base, with a crest about 700 metres long. It contains 6 million m³ of concrete and weighs 15 million tonnes.[2]

Lac des Dix. The reservoir holds 400 million m³. It is fed by about 100 kilometres of tunnels, 75 water intakes and 35 glaciers.[1][2]

Tourist attraction. Together with the pyramids of Euseigne, the dam has become one of the main tourist attractions of Hérémence.[3]

Remains in Grande Dixence

First Dixence. The buttress dam of 1929-1935 now lies submerged in the Lac des Dix.[2]

Sources

  1. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Grande Dixence » (Bernard Monnet, version du 19.01.2021, version allemande lue)
  2. Grande Dixence SA, brochure technique et touristique
  3. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Hérémence » (Bernard Monnet, version du 09.04.2008)
  4. geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)

Other villages near Grande Dixence

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