5.8.2011

Scandinavia gets set

Winter sports of all kinds have always been one of the most popular leisure pursuits in Scandinavia. To make sure they maintain their position in the popularity ratings, therefore, there are a number of projects on the agenda for this summer. Here is a brief summary of the main projects:

Sweden
The ski resorts of Lindvallen and Högfjället have 57 ski slopes between them. In a bid to guarantee snow coverage on these slopes, 1,500 m of Alpinal pipeline and 17x V3 measuring 9 meters are being installed in Lindvallen. The ski resort near the Norwegian border is also getting a new extraction pump station and a pressure booster station with an output of 120 l/s provided by two pumps. When complete, the system will have five pumps producing an output of 600 l/s. The water is transported from the town of Sälen along about 5.5 km of DN500 pipeline to the ski resort of Lindvallen.

The ski resort of Idrefjäll is also on course for further growth. TechnoAlpin has a contract to lay 450 m of Alpinal pipeline and to install 3x V3 this summer with a view to expanding operations on the eastern side. Two additional automatic water lines are also due to be installed in the "East" pumping plant.

In Alebacken, a new customer of TechnoAlpin, there will be 2x V3 measuring 9 meters making sure of ideal snow conditions in the resort from this fall onwards. The existing pumping plant is also being automated. The system will then be controlled by the ATASSplus software which guarantees optimum management of resources.

Extension work is also going on in the ski resort of Isaberg in the south of Sweden which has been a customer of TechnoAlpin for more than 10 years. Action on the slopes will be guaranteed by six new connection points with 2x V3.

Norway
Like Lindvallen in Sweden, Hemsedal in Norway is another member of the Skistar Group which has decided to expand. Two new slopes are under construction with a total of 3,400 m of Alpinal pipeline and 47 connection points, and these are earmarked for the installation of 25x V3 measuring 9 or 6 meters and 8x H3 which will be controlled by ATASSplus.

The World Cup venue of Kvitfjell is upgrading its existing A9 lances to V3 lances. This changeover will mean that the new V3 head can be operated with a greater number of nozzles, bringing about a significant increase in snow output without increasing air consumption. The arrangement of the nozzles has also been changed on the V3 which has a positive effect on the snow quality. The reliability of the system will also be enhanced through the changeover. The better heat transfer system will be even more effective at preventing the eventuality of ice formation.
Further work being carried out in the 1994 Winter Olympics venue includes the installation of 1,800 m of Alpinal pipeline with 15 pits and 15x V3 measuring 9 meters.

The installation of 26 connection points for mobile snow guns is underway in Meraker, a ski resort not far from Trondheim. 4x M18ST Premium will provide optimum snow conditions for the new TechnoAlpin customer.

In Hafjell too a whole series of new snow guns is being installed. Snow cover will be guaranteed to an even greater extent in future by 2x M18 Premium, 2x T40 Mobile, 2x T40 on 1.6 m towers, 4x T40 on 3.5 m lifts, 1x T40 on 4.5 m lifts, 1x T60 Mobile and 7x V3. The PS100 pumping plant has also been extended to include an additional pump.

Additions to the T60A arsenal in Norefjell will see the number of units virtually double from 11 to 21.

Meanwhile, in Röldal in the south of Norway, some 500 m of Alpinal pipeline are being added to the system. Four new connection points are being installed and an additional T40 Mobile will join the existing fleet of equipment.

Tryvann, the mountain resort on Oslo's doorstep, is extending its system in Whyller. A new high-pressure pumping plant with intake station and an output of 210 l/s is being built along with a new compressor plant outputting 42 m³/min. There will be even more fun on the ski slopes with 3.5 km of Alpinal pipeline serving 3x T60 on 4.5 m lifts, 4x T60 Mobile, 4x T40 on 4.5 m lifts, and 48x V3 lances. In addition, 20 existing lances are being upgraded to the V3 specification.

Finland
Winter tourism is also booming in Finland. A new slope in Levi, the northernmost World Cup destination, is the chosen site for the installation of 33 pits together with V3 lances. In terms of control, a decision has been taken to upgrade from ATASS to the new ATASSplus version.

Expansion is also underway in the ski resort of Ruka, not far from Kuusamo. The opening venue for the World Cup ski jumping events will be even more attractive in future with the addition of 16x V3.

To the north of Ruka, the compressor plant in the ski resort of Pyhä is being automated. The automatic snow-making system of 2010 is being extended to include 2x T40 Mobile, 4x T60 Mobile and 6x V3 measuring 9 meters.

The first automatic pumping plant with manually operated snow guns was installed in the little ski resort of Ellivuori back in 2005. Two additional M18ST Premiums will guarantee perfect snow conditions this winter.