What happens when solar panels and wind turbines produce more electricity than the grid can absorb? In many countries, that surplus energy simply goes to waste. But a growing family of technologies known as Power-to-X (PtX) is changing the equation — by converting excess renewable electricity into storable, transportable fuels and chemicals. A recent milestone in western Switzerland shows just how far this approach has come.
What Is Power-to-X?
Power-to-X is an umbrella term for several conversion pathways that all start with renewable electricity. The most common route is Power-to-Gas: an electrolyser splits water into green hydrogen (H₂) using clean power. That hydrogen can be used directly — or it can be combined with captured CO₂ in a methanation reactor to produce synthetic methane (CH₄), a carbon-neutral substitute for natural gas.
Other branches of the Power-to-X family include Power-to-Liquid (synthetic fuels for aviation and shipping), Power-to-Heat, and Power-to-Chemicals. What they all share is the ability to store renewable energy in molecular form, bridging the gap between intermittent generation and steady demand.
A Swiss Milestone: GRZ Technologies and Gaznat
Swiss cleantech company GRZ Technologies, an EPFL spin-off based in Avenches, has just completed the installation of a new UPSOM methanation reactor at Gaznat‘s Innovation Lab in Aigle, canton of Vaud. The reactor is designed to operate alongside a 1-megawatt electrolyser, marking a significant step towards industrial-scale Power-to-Gas deployment.
Gaznat, the Lausanne-based specialist for sustainable gas and a member of the SPIN network, launched the UPSOM initiative to advance the decarbonisation of Switzerland’s gas grid through Power-to-Gas technologies. Working in collaboration with EPFL, the GreenGas project aims to demonstrate a complete Power-to-Gas chain at a single pilot facility — converting surplus renewable electricity into grid-quality synthetic methane using green hydrogen and captured CO₂. According to GRZ Technologies, this represents Switzerland’s first fully integrated Power-to-Gas system.
The achievement has already earned recognition: in 2026, the Innovation Lab received the prestigious Watt d’Or 2026 award from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy in the Energy Technologies category — a strong signal that Power-to-X is moving from laboratory concept to real-world application.
Why Power-to-X Matters for the Energy Transition
The energy transition faces a fundamental timing problem. Solar and wind power are abundant but variable. Power-to-X technologies solve this by turning electricity into molecules that can be stored for weeks or months, transported through existing gas pipelines, and used in sectors that are difficult to electrify directly — such as heavy industry, long-haul transport, and high-temperature heating.
Synthetic methane produced through Power-to-Gas is particularly attractive because it is fully compatible with existing natural gas infrastructure. Homes, factories, and power plants can use it without any modifications, making it a practical bridge fuel on the path to net zero.
Scaling Up Across Europe
GRZ Technologies is not stopping at Switzerland. The company recently joined the HyCentA consortium in Austria, where it is developing a hydrogen compressor capable of reaching 900 bar — a key enabler for compact hydrogen storage and distribution. CEO Noris Gallandat has described this collaboration as a reflection of the company’s commitment to advancing hydrogen technology with leading research institutions and industry partners worldwide.
The Gaznat project, meanwhile, is designed as a scalable blueprint for all of Europe. If the economics continue to improve — and the regulatory environment keeps pace — Power-to-X could play a central role in decarbonising the continent’s gas supply.
The Bottom Line
Power-to-X is no longer a theoretical concept. Projects like the GRZ–Gaznat installation in Aigle demonstrate that converting renewable electricity into green gas is technically feasible at a meaningful scale. As Europe accelerates its push toward climate neutrality, expect to hear much more about Power-to-X — and the Swiss innovators helping to make it happen.
Source: punkt4.info / Café Europe Nachrichtenagentur AG, 8 April 2026 — GRZ Technologies installiert Power-to-Gas-Reaktor bei Gaznat