The thawing permafrost at Piz Nair is causing rock layers to become unstable and resulting in measurable shifts at the mountain station. Engadin St. Moritz Mountains AG is addressing this challenge with an innovative, energy-self-sufficient thermosiphon system. This system preserves the permafrost, thereby safeguarding the mountain station and its surroundings in the Swiss Alps.
The thawing permafrost at Piz Nair is causing rock layers to become unstable and resulting in measurable shifts at the mountain station. Engadin St. Moritz Mountains AG is addressing this challenge with an innovative, energy-self-sufficient thermosiphon system. This system preserves the permafrost, thereby safeguarding the mountain station and its surroundings in the Swiss Alps.
Protecting the Permafrost for the Future on St. Moritz's Local Mountain
Die stetige Dynamik der Natur wirkt sich auch auf den Permafrostboden am Piz Nair aus. Instabile Gesteinsschichten infolge des auftauenden Permafrostes verursachen bereits heute messbare Verschiebungen im Bereich der Bergstation Piz Nair. Um dieser Herausforderung vorausschauend zu begegnen, setzt die Engadin St. Moritz Mountains AG als erstes Unternehmen in Europa ein innovatives Thermosiphon-System ein. Dieses ist nachhaltig, wartungsarm und kommt ohne externe Energiequellen aus. Das Verfahren trägt aktiv zum Schutz und zur Erhaltung des Permafrosts bei und stabilisiert somit die Bergstation und ihre Umgebung. Dies ist ein wichtiger Schritt, um den touristischen Ausflugsberg über Jahrzehnte hinweg zu bewahren. Zugleich leistet das Projekt einen aktiven Beitrag zur Umsetzung der Schweizer Nachhaltigkeitsziele im Rahmen der Agenda 2030.
- Baustart: Frühling 2025
- Fertigstellung: Herbst 2025
- Cost: 1.7 million CHF
Project ManagerThomas Brunner
"To maintain the infrastructure on Piz Nair and thus ensure the cable car’s continued operation, we developed the thermosiphon solution as part of an international project team. This will hopefully ensure that St. Moritz’s local mountain remains accessible to tourists for decades to come."
Invisible but effective—how thermosiphons protect Piz Nair
Imagine nature cooling itself—without any electricity or noise. That’s exactly what happens at Piz Nair with thermosiphons: a quiet yet powerful technology that requires no electricity or moving parts, yet is extremely effective. They stabilize the permafrost and thus protect our mountain environment.
The principle behind it is as simple as it is effective. In a closed steel pipe system, CO₂ circulates solely due to temperature differences. In the underground evaporator, located in the permanently frozen permafrost, the liquid CO₂ absorbs heat from the ground and evaporates. The warm CO₂ rises, enters the above-ground condenser (radiator), and there releases its stored heat into the cool mountain air. In the process, it cools down, condenses, and flows back into the ground, and the cycle begins anew.
This quiet yet effective technology not only protects the infrastructure on the mountain but also helps preserve a piece of our unique Alpine landscape for future generations. Without the need for pumps, electricity, or emissions, the system offers a sustainable solution with a minimal environmental footprint. It is reliable, resource-efficient, and virtually maintenance-free. Engadin St. Moritz Mountains AG is the first company in Europe to use this innovative solution for the targeted stabilization of thawing permafrost. This not only safeguards the sensitive Alpine environment in the long term but also charts a forward-looking path to address the constant dynamics of nature with technical ingenuity and ecological responsibility.
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