In Oberwald VS, people once dreamed of becoming a tourism stronghold like St. Moritz GR.However, the glamorous ascent did not materialize after the opening of the Furka Tunnel in 1982.The highest village in the Gommertal could now become Switzerland's gas reduit - at least if Gaznat's plans go.The western Swiss energy supply company is planning a gas storage facility in the mountain massif near Oberwald.It would be the first in Switzerland.For around 400 million francs, four large cavities, so-called caverns, are to be carved deep into the granite rock of the Grimsel massif, which will be lined with steel on the inside.Hardly anything of this would be visible from the outside.The caverns would hold gas for 1.5 terawatt hours of electricity.An amount of energy that can supply 430,000 households with electricity for a year.Gaznat has been trying to reduce its dependence on gas price volatility for years.Now CEO René Bautz (65) senses the opportunity: "With the new geopolitical situation, interest in such a system has increased significantly."The Ukraine war has brought security of supply into focus more than ever."Such a memory would contribute to this," says Bautz.If he has his way, Switzerland would need three to four plants of this type.The project arouses interest.The Association of the Swiss Gas Industry (VSG) welcomes the gas storage facility "if the conditions are met," says VSG spokesman Thomas Hegglin.So far, all ideas for gas storage in Switzerland have failed due to technical or economic hurdles.Oberwald now seems to meet all the requirements, at least from a technical point of view - this has been shown by test drilling.Thanks to the large transit gas pipeline that runs through the town, transport to and from the site is already taken care of.The project is also being monitored accordingly by the Federal Office for National Economic Supply (BWL)."All measures or projects that contribute to increasing the security of supply are followed by the business administration with great interest," says a spokeswoman.Gaznat is currently conducting a feasibility study with results expected by the end of the year.On the one hand, there are the extremely high costs, which make economic operation difficult.“There are various financing options.We are also in contact with the federal government to evaluate scenarios," says Bautz.But supplying Switzerland with gas is primarily the responsibility of the private sector.The federal government only intervenes if the supply cannot be guaranteed.The federal government has instructed the Swiss gas companies to reserve six terawatt hours of gas in foreign gas storage facilities.However, if Gaznat can handle the financing, another question arises: René Bautz estimates that the gas storage facility in Oberwald could be completed by 2030.But Switzerland wants to significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuels as part of the Energy Strategy 2050.Wouldn't the gas storage facility come at the wrong time?“Over the coming years and decades, natural gas will be successively replaced by biogas, synthetic methane and green hydrogen.If gas storage facilities are built in Switzerland, they could also be used for renewable gases,” says VSG spokesman Hegglin.The business administration is also convinced that a gas storage facility could be further developed.And then there would be the danger that Switzerland would run out of juice from 2025 because the EU would then want to supply us with less electricity.In February, the Federal Council announced its plans to build one or more gas-fired power plants to combat the impending power shortage.As a reserve, they should start their burners in extreme cases and prevent a blackout.But that is only possible if the gas supply to the power plants is guaranteed at all times.For example through a gas reduit in the Valais mountains.