Tropenhaus Frutigen

The Tropenhaus in Frutigen, Switzerland, is a commercial project using geothermal energy from hot water flowing out of the Lötschberg base tunnel for the production of sturgeon meat, and caviar and formerly exotic fruit in a tropical greenhouse in the Swiss alps.[1] In 2007, the project received the Prix Evenir, the Swiss petroleum industry's CHF 50,000 award for sustainable development.[2]

The idea for the greenhouse began in 2002 when it became apparent that the water continuously flowing out of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel[3] could not be directly diverted to the local river, the Kander, as its temperature of 20 °C would disrupt the biological rhythm of the endangered trout there.[1] Rather than cooling the water artificially, wasting its thermal energy, tunnel engineers founded a start-up company to use the warm water to heat a greenhouse. The construction of the site began in May 2008 at 8 million CHF, and was completed by the end of 2009. Visitors were welcomed that same year.[1] A sturgeon farm, one of few in Europe, is the heart of the Tropenhaus. Some 60,000 fish are intended to be grown in 40 outdoor basins.[4] The sturgeons thrive in permanent Siberian summer conditions and are intended to yield 20 tonnes of meat as well as two tonnes of caviar annually.[1] The first sturgeon fillets were sold in local stores in November 2008.[5] The rest of the greenhouses were initially dedicated to the production of tropical fruits, such as banana, papaya, mango and guava in an area of 2000 m2.[1]

The Tropenhaus was also conceived as a tourist destination, with a visitors' centre, a visitors' trail through the installation, a restaurant, and an exhibition room (paid for by a Bernese energy company) showcasing the project's use of renewable energy and sustainability.[1][6]

In 2024, the Tropenhaus ended all touristical activities to focus on fish and caviar production.[7]

See also

• Fishing industry in Switzerland

External links