The Project
The north side of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel provides around 100 litres of warm mountain water at around 20° Celsius every second. It originates from the limestone layers of the Doldenhorn Decke, which is crossed by the tunnel below the Kander and the Gastern valleys. This amount of warm water cannot be simply diverted into the mountain streams such as the Kander, which require particular protection, as this would damage the ascent water and spawning grounds of the native lake trout. For this reason, an alternative option for cooling the mountain water was sought.
The innovative idea of using the mountain water for a sturgeon fish farm and for the production of tropical fruit originated from Dr. Peter Hufschmied, former engineer of the senior construction management of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel. It solved all the water cooling objectives in an ideal manner. In effect, with the fish farming, the fruit production and the expected visitors, the project will create major added value for the region. Thanks to the project, numerous workplaces have been created in Frutigen, and are also an alternative to the traditional agriculture. In addition, the project gives a major impulse to the regional economy, in that it adds a new attraction to the range of tourist activities.
architecture: GIM 
Gauer Itten Messerli, Bern
planning: Emch+Berger, Bern
lead in construction: Marti Architektur, Frutigen
More about the following pillars of the project:
Fish farming, Tropical plants, Energy, Research and development
