While training was taking place on the infamous Streif, the Kitzbühel mountain railway presented concrete plans and further visions for the future on Tuesday. The focus is on hydrogen-powered snowplows and lifts that “can think for themselves”.
Around 500 snow clearing hours prepared the Streif for its first training session and it received rave reviews from many quarters. Almost at the same time, the Bergbahn presented what the future of preparation in the multi-award-winning ski area of Kitzbühel could look like – with hydrogen-powered snow plows! “It is still a prototype and not yet in daily use,” said Markus Straninger and Jamie Thom of Sterzing-based company Prinoth, when the 460 hp machine was presented at press ski day.
A full tank takes about four hours
What speaks for the device in the chic blue design? The five hydrogen tanks are enough to run the internal combustion engine for about four hours and refueling takes less than 30 minutes. But there is another problem when refueling: hydrogen is not available locally.
The large-scale hydrogen project in Kufstein could play a role in the necessary infrastructure development. In addition, there should be one or more filling stations in the ski area. “We are not talking about a commitment tomorrow. But we want to be at the forefront when it comes to sustainable solutions and Prinoth is our test partner,” explains Bergbahn board member Anton Bodner.
Device significantly more expensive
At the moment, the price does not necessarily speak for a hydrogen snowplow: “It costs about 700,000 euros, a diesel model 500,000 euros,” added board member Christian Wörister. In the future, battery-powered snow blades are also conceivable for small lifts and terrains. You can see that a lot is happening around the mega themes of energy and sustainability.
New chairlifts can “think for themselves”
The largest construction project (23 million euros) in the coming summer will be two 6-seater chairlifts from the company Leitner, which will replace a T-bar lift and a 3-seater chairlift with a fixed handle in the Jochberg area. Florian Wörgetter, technical director at KitzSki, emphasized technical innovations: a direct drive works with almost no energy loss. The train automatically adjusts its speed to the traffic. The seat heating detects whether someone is sitting on it or not. “Better, not bigger is our motto”, Wörgetter looks to the future.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
