2023

Spitsbergen: Snow for the far north

The Norwegian archipelago, Spitsbergen, lies in the Atlantic Ocean, far above the Arctic circle and only approximately 1,300 kilometers south of the North Pole. Despite this unique northern location, winter snowfall is still woefully inadequate much to the disappointment of the Longyearbyen ski resort. This is due to an offshoot of the Gulf Stream carrying warm water into the Arctic Ocean.

The municipality of Longyearbyen recently decided to take matters into its own hands and install a TechnoAlpin snowmaking system. First and foremost, this should help transform skiing from an occasional leisure activity into a regular winter pastime for the locals. The new installation comprises a container with a fully automated turnkey pump and compressor station. The pump on the snowmaking system has a throughput of 35 liters of water per second reaching a pressure of 37 bar while the compressor achieves an output of 5.5 cubic meters per minute.

Pipe laying posed a particular challenge in this terrain. The 500 meters of lines had to be laid above ground and fixed with special anchors in the permafrost. Twelve connection points with hydrants deliver water and air to the snow guns. A total of 12 manual lances are used to ensure adequate snow coverage over 600 meters of slope.