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13.11.2009
First snow-making installation in Mongolia
Think of Mongolia and the image you conjure up is bound to be one of vast expanses and a unique nomadic culture. And yet this country, which borders on Russia to the north and China to the south, has many more facets and in some places a very Western mindset. One of the country's latest projects is the modern ski resort which has been named "Sky Resort" and is opening for the first time for the 2009/10 winter season. The resort is just a few kilometers from Ulaanbaatar, the country's capital with a population of approximately one million.
With a mean daytime temperature in winter of -25° it is certainly very cold here but, at the same time, the distinct continental climate means that it is extremely dry - a classic recipe for unpredictable snow conditions. Planners were keen to rule out this element of uncertainty from the outset at the new "Sky Resort", and the solution was therefore to rely fully on snow-making technology. Thanks to the TechnoAlpin equipment, the snow supply for the six kilometers of slope can now be 100% guaranteed.
The beating heart of the snow-making equipment is composed of two fully automatic pump stations with a total output of 50 l/s and 375 kW. The compressor station boasts an output of 16.6 m³/min and 90 kW. 14 km of air and water pipelines have been laid. The snow is generated on the slope by 15 manual A30 snow lances which are fitted with specially developed propelling nozzles with integrated nucleator, guaranteeing ultra-fine spray action, extensive projection and optimum snow quality.
The project involved a huge amount of organizational input, both in terms of working with local business partners and in terms of logistics and customs clearance. Indeed, all TechnoAlpin snow guns are produced and tested in Bolzano (South Tyrol, Italy). In order to minimize delivery times, the lances and the pump and compressor station units were delivered overland all the way from South Tyrol to Ulaanbaatar via Russia. The rest of the equipment made its way to China by sea and then continued on its way overland to Mongolia. In spite of all these difficulties the system was successfully put into operation in mid-September.
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