A TOP Scottish ski resort is ploughing ahead with a plan to ensure it isn’t caught out by a lack of snow this winter.
After being badly hit by last year’s mild weather, CairnGorm Mountain hopes to avoid a repeat – by making its own snow.
A planning application has been submitted for the temporary installation of a Snowfactory machine. The company says it would be the first time the revolutionary technology has been used at a ski resort in Scotland.
Developed by TechnoAlpin, which is based in the Italian Alps, Snowfactory is a pioneering mobile cooling plant which connects to an electricity and water supply and makes snow from small dry ice flakes after cooling water to freezing point.
It is capable of producing 45 tonnes of snow a day which can be pumped and sprayed a distance of 200m.
CairnGorm Mountain hopes to trial the machine for two months over this winter, from the end of November until the end of January 2018.
It will assess how the technology performs and gather feedback from skiers and snowboarders before deciding whether to introduce it on a permanent basis.
Adam Gough from CairnGorm Mountain said: “This is really significant for CairnGorm Mountain. It is no secret that last season was poor in terms of snowfall and we weren’t able to open for snowsports as often as we would have liked.
“We have been in discussions with TechnoAlpin for a while and the company also welcomed us for a site visit earlier this year so we could see the technology in action. Being able to trial the Snowfactory for two months is crucial to understand whether this is a viable option for the resort in the long term.
“If successful then we believe it will noticeably enhance the snowsports experience at CairnGorm Mountain.”
Susan Smith, head of business development with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, added: “This is a very exciting development for CairnGorm Mountain. For an outdoor business in Scotland, that could be a real game changer.”
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