Alpnach military airfield: ground broken for vehicle depot and workshop extension
Bern, 26.08.2024 - Representatives of the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) have broken the ground on Alpnach military airfield for the new vehicle storage depot and an extension building. The DDPS is investing CHF 18 million in the building project, which is scheduled for completion by early 2026. Construction will be to high ecological standards. This includes wooden-clad façades and photovoltaic installations on the roofs capable of generating 324 megawatt-hours per year.
On 21 August 2024 the ground was broken to build a new vehicle storage depot and a multifunctional extension for combined use as a workshop, storage facility and operations site. The festivities were attended by representatives of the Federal Office for Defence Procurement armasuisse as the developer, the Air Force as the future user of the facility, the General Secretariat of the DDPS and the overall heads of the planning team.
New premises for special vehicles and a workshop
The vehicle storage depot will stand on the eastern side of the airfield. The building will cover 1,941 m2 and provide space to store special vehicles and deployment material.
The extension to an existing facility will be on the western side. It will create 1,401m2 of space for a workshop, tanker vehicles and an operations site, replacing the current 60-year old vehicle workshop which no longer meets modern requirements. The single-storey extension is designed for maintaining special vehicles and includes a facility for washing them. The building will also house offices, cloakrooms and storage for operating materials.
Functional and sustainable facilities
The functional facilities have been designed to offer a wide range of options for use, and boast ecological wooden-clad façades and broad projecting roofs. Sustainable heating will be provided in the new building from thermoactive piles. The workshop extension will obtain district heating from Korporation Alpnach and be constructed to Minergie standards.
Photovoltaic installations on the roofs of the new buildings will generate 324 megawatt-hours of electricity every year for the DDPS’s own use. This is sufficient to meet the needs of about 85 households.
The measures will help minimise CO2 emissions in line with the climate objectives of the federal government and increase self-sufficiency in energy.
Most construction orders placed with companies from central Switzerland
Parliament approved CHF 18 million for the project as part of the 2022 real estate programme. The works to be done went out to tender following the public procurement guidelines. Thanks to their highly competitive nature, to date more than two-thirds of orders have been placed with companies from central Switzerland. The project is scheduled for completion by early 2026.
Address for enquiries
Jacqueline Stampfli
Deputy Head of Communications armasuisse
+41 58 464 60 42
Publisher
Armasuisse
http://www.ar.admin.ch/
Defence
http://www.vtg.admin.ch
General Secretariat DDPS
https://www.vbs.admin.ch/
