Tropenhaus Frutigen
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Tropical fruit, sturgeon meat, caviar, tourism |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Canton of Bern |
Key people | Marcel Baillods (CEO) |
| Website | www.tropenhaus-frutigen.ch |
46°35′36″N 7°39′22″E / 46.59333°N 7.65611°E
The Tropenhaus (English: Tropic House) 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 (68 °F) 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 2,000 m2 (21,500 sq ft).[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
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References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Ochsenbein, Gaby (January 1, 2009). "Alpine caviar and papayas come to Switzerland". Swissinfo. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ^ "Preis fürs Tropenhaus Frutigen" (in German). Tages-Anzeiger. 2 May 2007. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ^ Soriano, César G. (30 March 2007). "European rail lines taking a giant leap". USA Today. pp. 6D. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ^ Regli, Susanna (17 May 2008). "Papayas und Kaviar aus Frutigen" (PDF) (in German). Der Bund. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ^ Kühner, Andreas (8 November 2008). "Bald reifen tropische Früchte" (PDF) (in German). Berner Oberländer. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ^ "How to find us". Tropenhaus Frutigen. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
- ^ "Tropenhaus Frutigen schliesst". freizeit.ch (in German). 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2025-05-03.
External links
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