MOUNTAIN PLANET 2023 - ENG

By

INNOVATION BOOK

For sustainable innovations

TRI-Line : a new era begins...

True to its reputation as a pioneer and master of inn ovation, Doppelmayr is launching a new ropeway system with the " TRI-Line". By combining the 3S technol ogy (2 track ropes and 1 hau l rope) with the D-Line generation (single rope), Doppelmayr h as designed a system combining the advantages of both worlds. T hanks t o its efficiency and wide range of features, t he "TRI-Line" is suitable for all areas of applicat i on - winter, summ er and urban transport.

Doppelmayr i s creating a new benchmark i n the world of ropeways: with its spacious, panoramic cabins fo r up to 20 passengers an d various technical innovat ions, the TRI-Line offers the industry’s highest transport capa city of up to 8,000 passeng ers per hour and direction. The world's first TRI-Line will be built in "Hoch-Ybrig" in Switzerland: a milestone of modern ropeway technology.

INNOVATION BOOK IS PUBLISHED BY MOUNTAIN PLANET - ALPEXPO

Action !

If key insights from the various barometers funded by ADEME are any indication, the environment is now one of the main concerns of French people. In 2019, the topic was even the leading preoccupation, alongside employment.

DESIGN REALIZATION

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Editorial

Cécile Ronjat - Marie-France SarrazinClaude Trinidad - Véronique Pilon

On the cover

OT Meribel

Illustrations

Gaël Illustrations

Translations

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ALL : InFact Global

Art direction & design

Séverine Béchet • studiosbdesign.fr

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Fanny Marguet fanny@cosy-editions.com

Aurélien Martinez aurélien@cosy-editions.com

Kamel Beghidja kamel@cosy-editions.com

Olivia Gontharet olivia@cosy-editions.com

Administration and customer relations

Pascale Torque compta@cosy-editions.com

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ISSN 2418-0297

Toute reproduction ou représentation intégrale ou partielle par quelque procédé que ce soit des pages publiées dans le présent magazine faites sans l’autorisation de l’éditeur est illicite et constitue une contrefaçon. Seules sont autorisées, d’une part, les reproductions strictement réservées à l’usage privé du copiste et non destinées à une utilisation collective, et d’autre part, les courtes citations justifiées par le caractère scientifique ou d’information de l’oeuvre dans laquelle elles sont incorporées. (art. L.122-4, L.122-5 et L.335-2 du Code de propriété intellectuelle).

This extremely positive news highlights, nevertheless, how long it takes to raise awareness: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been warning people about the issue since 1988.

35 years of baby steps, debates, and considerations which should not peter out of course, given the severity of the issue at stake, but which, at the same time, should be interspersed by evidence that we are on the way to making a transition through concrete ACTION.

In the mountains we have taken many concrete steps, there are countless examples if you take the time to look for them, understand them and bring them to light.

Agents for change in the mountains include elected representatives, associations – and local residents who take action through them – industrialists, small and very small business owners, inventors, clusters, large and small ski areas, (either downhill or Nordic), fundamental researchers and a significant number of Mountain Planet exhibitors. In short, everyone is now mindful of the concept of urgent transition in the short, mid and long term.

Irrespective of the sector, no strategy can overlook the situation, and you’d be lacking objectivity if you didn’t see that players are doing their utmost to share water, phase out fossil fuels, implement greener mobility solutions, redesign energy facilities, develop reservation systems for multimodal transportation and use weather data for better local management – they are taking ACTION.

The aim of INNOVATION BOOK n° 3 is to move towards concrete action, and to showcase what is already being done. There’s no longer any need for persuasion, it is time to ACT!

Jérôme Riff

GENERAL MANAGER ALPEXPO

INNOVATION

BOOK BY MOUNTAIN PLANET /

EDITION 20 23

8

INTRODUCTION – ANALYSE

• The effects of climate change on mountain resorts

• As social media continues to fan the flames of debate over the effects of climate change in the mountains, Innovation Book strives to platform the perspectives of actual experts who have published many studies and analyses shining a light on the situation for some time.

• In the spotlight: The ADEME presents its Tourism Strategy

22 INTERVIEWS

• Laurent Wauquiez, president of the AURA regional council: Three questions about the results of the regional support fund.

• Dominique Thillaud, director of the Compagnie des Alpes: “The challenge is finding a balance between environmental priorities and the social consequences of this transition.”

• Charlotte Rotureau, climate change consultant: How can we adapt events to the green transition?

www.mountain-planet.com

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CON TENT

INNOVATION

BOOK BY MOUNTAIN PLANET /

EDITION 20 23

28 ALPINE INNOVATIONS: PRESENT AND FUTURE

• The challenge of water supply in the mountains

• Mobility, piste grooming, and snow cover

• Tech today

68 INTERNATIONAL

• TROJENA, the mountain site for the renowned Neom project in Saudi Arabia, will be hosting the Asian Winter Games. Utopia or futuristic fantasy?

• Benjamín Plasencia Sidauy: The Enduro bike racing champion, offers his perspective of this booming market.

• The 2024 Paris Olympics: real solutions for limiting the carbon footprint.

• The Aosta Smart Valley

74 THE LAST WORD

• The Grenoble convention centre will once again be hosting the leading international fair for the whole mountain industry from 16-18 April 2024.

BEAUTY IN TRANSFORMATION

As social media continues to fan the flames of debate over the effects of climate change in the mountains, Innovation Book strives to platform the perspectives of actual experts who have published many studies and analyses shining a light on the situation for some time.

The IPCC report is one example that springs to mind, while many others provide far more profound insights than bitter online messages.

Other examples include studies from the Observatoire Régional Climat Air Energie, the Observatoire National sur les Effets du Réchauffement Climatique, the INTERPRAEVENT association, which organized a conference on The occurrence, reduction, and restoration of natural disasters in mountainous regions, the Association Nationale des Maires de Stations de Montagne, the Domaines skiables de France, the FIANET, the Association Nationale des Elus de Montagne, and the CIPRA. All players were required to be noted authorities in the field to draw up a credible overview of the situation before introducing changes.

Lastly, we must highlight all those working in the mountain development industry. They are regular exhibitors at the Mountain Planet fair, ranging from small-scale to major players, from France and abroad. They have spent years, at our fair and beyond, innovating and offering products, services, and technology to contribute to this transition.

INTRODUCTION / ANALYSE

OVERVIEW

PRECIOUS NATURE

The mountains are heavily dependent on tourism, with 20 billion euros in direct and indirect revenues generated every year.

The 350 ski resorts provide 18,000 direct jobs, and more generally 120,000 jobs that depend on the ski areas being open in the winter (Avenir Montagnes press kit). These professions are defined by their seasonal and multifaceted nature. The “skiing” sector represents around 80% of snow-based tourism revenue. Regional development is also tied to tourism, involving holiday and seasonal worker property rental.

THE CONCLUSIONS FROM THE SIXTH IPCC REPORT, which include an entire section on the mountains, highlight how urgent it is to ramp up efforts to adapt to change in these areas, where global warming has its most intense and visible effects. The report shines a light on the human impact on global warming and the interactions between the climate, ecosystems, and human activity. These factors have a domino effect on the valleys, which rely enormously on the economic and environmental health of the mountains.

2023 INTERNATIONAL REPORT SNOW AND MOUNTAIN TOURISM

Like every year, the organisers of the international mountain development trade fair, MOUNTAIN PLANET and Swiss expert, Laurent Vanat, provided a preview of the figures and trends of the world snow and mountain tourism market.

If you were unable to attend the press conference on 4th April, visit the event website: www.mountain-planet.com

Published every April for the last 12 years, the report sets out and analyses data from more than 2,000 ski resorts in 68 countries. Info, figures, investments, occupancy, trends, snow cover, etc. it scours and scrutinises the ski, snow and mountain industry and changes to it; shedding light on the state of play, development trends, and the ski market potential.

PROTECTING THE FRAGILE BALANCE

The shrinking of the glaciers is one of the most spectacular consequences of global warming. As a result, changes must immediately be enacted, such as the closure of the Val d’Isère and Tignes glaciers last summer. However, aside from depriving skiers of a summer activity, this phenomenon has also had a knock-on effect: 68% of irrigated farmland in the valleys depend on water flowing down from the mountains. According to the French National Observatory on the Effects of Climate Change (ONERC), the “annual changes in temperate glaciers are the result of the antagonistic effects of both winter snowfall and summer temperatures. These elements of natural environments are the most sensitive to temperature variations.” The organization measured the shrinking of French glaciers, which have lost 25m (water equivalent) on average within 20 years. As for the level of snow cover, the researchers said: “We have observed a significant reduction in snow levels as of 1 May across all mountain ranges. This translated to a 12% decrease per decade in relation to the normal levels seen from 1981-2010.”

The Alps are home to a rich biodiversity

With more than 30,000 animal species and 13,000 plant species playing a major role in mitigating the effects of climate change (Source: Les Alpes, entre nature et culture, WWF).

The research project, Analyse des effets économiques du changement climatique en station de montagne, by the Green Cross France et Territoires group, describes that the increase in vegetation above 1,700m of elevation and the decrease in the permanent snowpack are leading to a loss of biodiversity while accentuating warming through the Albedo effect (the capacity of a surface to reflect light and limit the thawing of high-altitude regions). This raises the risk of rockfalls and landslides, as well as making it more likely that water stocks will dry up. The study also observes that farming and grazing practices, which play a major role in the protection of the landscape, must adapt to climactic phenomena (such as drought, frost, wind, and storms). These lead to the intensified effect of this context while accelerating overall fragilization and the development of certain devastating patterns.

Mountains

in France are

formed of 43% of protected natural spaces (including 7 national parks)

58% coverage by forests and semi-natural environments

38% coverage by farmland (Avenir Montagnes)

THE WEIGHT OF LUGGAGE

The mountains are therefore particularly sensitive to climate change. And even though tourism cannot be held entirely responsible for global warming, it is undeniable that it produces 11% of greenhouse gas emissions in France, mainly due to transport, accommodation, and the restaurant industry.

In major tourism regions, there is up to:

• +211% in water consumption

• +287% in annual energy consumption

• +27% in waste production compared with the national average (ADEME).

According to the ORCAE, buildings (residential and tertiary) are responsible for 22.5% of CO2 emissions in the AuvergneRhône-Alpes region. In mountain resorts, 38% of residential buildings are energy intensive (Energy Efficiency Grades F and G) compared with 21% across the rest of the area.

Transportation makes up 25% of greenhouse gas emissions in the region. Train travel is still underdeveloped for accessing ski resorts. Recently, the ANMSM (France’s National Association of Mountain Resort Mayors) released a statement encouraging “the redoubling of efforts to improve access to the mountains” by adding multimodal transportation solutions to the existing railway offering to cover the last miles up to resort accommodation. The analysis is conclusive, highlighting the issue of how alpine tourism is changing. Diversification

has already begun, with a rise in visitor numbers during the summer. However, the alpine economy’s dependence on “skiing” activities requires further nuance within the debate. Diversification provides synergistic solutions which will in turn attract new demographics. The rise of “new tourists,” particularly in the wake of the pandemic, offers a new perspective of the mountains – without closing the door on ski areas in the winter.

SOURCES

-Climate challenge annual report

-Green Cross France et Territoires (GCFT) – Research project: Analyse des effets économiques du changement climatique en station de montagne

-6th IPCC report

-ORCAE (French Regional Climate, Air and Energy Observatory)

-ONERC (French National Observatory on the Effects of Global Warming)

-The Companies for the Planet Convention – 11 businesses in the Alps, including Alpexpo, the organiser of the Mountain Planet expo.

-Booklet of good practices for the sustainable development of mountain areas

-INTERPRAEVENT, the organiser of the conference on “The occurrence, reduction, and restoration of natural disasters in alpine regions.”

-ANMSM (The French National Association of Mountain Resort Mayors)

-Emmanuelle George from IRSTEA: Director of the LESSEM (The Laboratory of Ecosystems and Societies in the Mountains)

-ANEM – Assistance for alpine regions in sustainable development and adaptation to climate change

-CIPRA – Project to control tourist flows

THE EIGHTH REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE ALPS by the Convention Alpine has observed that air quality in the Alps is generally good. Nevertheless, several valleys in the Alps are subject to excessive pollution, as seen in the Vallée de l’Arve, and particularly during the winter months. Overall, the number of particles with diameters above 2.5μm are too big, according the values put forward by the World Health Organization. However, this topic remains taboo and current actions are insufficient – exemplified by the Eurovignette road user charge, described as a “mini-measure.”

THE ADEME PRESENTS ITS TOURISM STRATEGY

This strategy’s objectives are fostering the green transition, creating the right conditions for capitalizing on opportunities, and helping the sector’s professionals to focus their attractivity on a more local or more sustainable offering. With this in mind, a large range of new solutions has been introduced.

Three working priorities have been drawn up:

1. Raising awareness and guiding the sector in terms of environmental challenges and existing solutions.

2. Assisting professionals in the short-term as well as the long-term to prepare for the future.

3. Developing strategic partnerships capable of uniting the sector’s players and increasingly rolling out good practices.

Given the cross-disciplinary nature of the sector, the ADEME is focusing its intervention on:

• Transport and mobility stakeholders: development of active mobility, encouragement of a shift from air or car to public transport, etc.

• Tourist accommodation: thermal renovation of buildings, development of renewable energy, etc.

• Restaurants: development of sustainable food, fight against food waste, etc.

• Tourist sites and leisure activities: ecocitizenship, development of tourist offers to accelerate the green transition, etc.

• Regional: sharing expertise and providing support for adaptation to climate change, decarbonization and business tourism...

When those surveyed were asked to list the concepts most associated with holidays in the mountains, “clean air” was the most cited (50%) (Unique poll carried out by OpinionWay for the Association Nationale des Maires des Stations de Montagne).

For 94% of the French population, France’s mountain ranges are among the finest parts of our national heritage

JOSE-RODRIGUEZ-ORTEGA

ACTION(S), REACTION(S)

MOVING MOUNTAINS

It is a long way to the top and to get a glimpse of a new future, but we are moving forward, leaving no one behind, and ensuring the road is safe and secure. There are many study and reflection groups focused on the climate situation and the future of tourism in the mountains, at local, national or international levels, all providing arguments for taking action. Funding is being allocated at all levels to finance research and initiatives, and to support this transition. The regulation of tourist flows, the improvement of air and water quality, actions in favour of agriculture, mobility, diversification, education, and research and development from planning players are all the beginnings of a white (and green) revolution...

As part of the INRAE, the Laboratory for Ecosystems and Societies in the Mountains (LESSEM) leads research on the dynamics of alpine socio-ecosystems. “Our main job is to document and produce knowledge,” says Emmanuelle George, a researcher in mountain tourism development and deputy head of the ACT department. “We also do a lot of objective research to make indicators and methodologies available to a range of stakeholders to help them make decisions. We work with public policy makers, but also with economic actors and local authorities.” Emmanuelle George coordinates the INTERREG Alpine Space programme called TRANSTAT (Transition of Mountain Resorts and Territories). “Along with our Slovenian, Italian, Austrian and Swiss partners, we are thinking about transition pathways based on their characteristics. We have built a network of resorts that are committed to this transition and united by a shared vision of the future developed in line with both their fragility and their strengths.”

Within the USMB foundation, the Sustainable Tourism Research Chair gathers and unites projects around the sustainable tourism initiatives rolled out by destinations while monitoring changes in demand. “We have studied the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships, including the implementation of their CSR approach and how it fits in with the regional projects of the two host resorts, Courchevel and Méribel. The study is still underway, but the approach is interesting because this charter enabled the organising committee to obtain ISO 21000 certification relatively quickly. In a short space of time, a lot of progress will be made following this event, both in terms of actual actions and also in terms of know-how and organising methods,” says Dominique Kreziak, Marketing Environment Tourism researcher and Scientific Head of the Chair. “The event provided a demonstration and inspiration for others like it,” he says. “These approaches are always part of the path to progress, although we know that there is still a long way to go!”

This interaction between science and fieldwork can also be seen in the rise of CLIMSNOW, a public-private consortium between Météo France, the INRAE and Dianeige (a firm specialising in the development of mountain resorts), whose mission is to quantify the impact of climate change on snow coverage in resorts. Their analysis assesses resorts’ ability to maintain their operations, how much effort it takes, what methods are used, and the timeframes required. With more than 110 diagnoses already logged, the tool is being increasingly used. The prefect of Haute-Savoie is even considering submitting all new equipment requests to this organisation.

SAYING LESS AND TAKING MORE ACTION

For the last few years, the ‘Cluster Montagne’ has helped its members to implement concrete measures to support their transition. After an initial pilot scheme (in collaboration with DSF and OSV) with 15 structures and the publication of the ADEME* Sector Guide, 5 new companies have just finished a 6-month support cycle to implement their ‘transition action plan’: Abamo&Co, Abest, MND, Sunconseil and Val d’Isère Tourism. In 2023, CSR schemes will also be proposed to Cluster Montagne members. It is an opportunity to highlight, where necessary, that companies are taking action to transition.

* https://librairie.ademe.fr/changement-climatique-etenergie/5418-realisation-de-bilans-de-gaz-a-effet-deserre-et-strategie-climatique-associee.html

ACTION !

Reducing GHG emissions is all about energy savings. The Climate Challenge Annual Review in the United States, which has been running for 11 years and now includes 35 American ski resorts, provides a framework for destinations to commit to a multi-year process of reducing CO2 emissions, sharing their initiatives with the community, and collaborating to create collective strength and power. The targets, which are set by the resorts, are not spectacular but rather tangible and realistic. Participants who achieve them earn badges from the Sustainable Slopes Program, overseen by the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), from which they also receive grants to implement meaningful actions.

Closer to home, the Domaines

Skiables de France ski area group has introduced an environmental roadmap to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2037. This includes hydrogen-powered snow groomers, the rolling out of a carbon footprint evaluation in all ski areas, eco-driving, and rationalising the use of grooming vehicles and ski lifts. Many resorts have already adopted these practices, driven by the recent energy price hikes.

SHARING WATER

Hillside reservoirs are subject to debate and are generally associated with snow coverage “at any cost” to the detriment of our resources and landscapes. However, they are now better designed to integrate into their environment, and serve multiple purposes. The French Group of Mountain Resort Mayors has produced a “Blue Book on Hillside Reservoirs,” which is the result of collaborative working sessions attended by elected officials in mountain resorts. Without minimizing the ecological impact that these artificial lakes can have, the report concludes that “These impacts should not make us forget that a balance can be found between the economy and sustainable water management,” and that “Hillside reservoirs are also a means of combining ecology and the economy by diversifying our tourist offering.”

In their “Eco-commitments” charter, the Domaines Skiables de France group has agreed to optimise the volume of snow produced, to store water in order to stagger draining phases, and to share this resource with farmers in the event of drought.

REINVENTING SNOW MACHINES

The Savoie-based SME WeSnow is a pioneer in the production of “positive energy” snow, made using snow canons inspired by the heat-pump model. “We make very cold, dry snow using flake ice with the help of a large freezer set to -26°C. This process releases energy that we capture with a heat exchanger, which then enables us to give back twice as much,” says Bertrand Lambla, the company’s director. WeSnow has already equipped Super Besse with 9 snow canons that provide coverage for the bottom of the ski area, regardless of the temperature, and use the energy produced to heat municipal buildings.

Wesnow.fr

MOBILITY INCENTIVES TO REDUCE POLLUTION

In Les Saisies, the lessaisies-express.com platform aggregates all available forms of transportation to take tourists to their accommodation in the resort. “We factor in the final mile, since our journey mapper includes the free shuttles that bring holidaymakers as close to their accommodation as possible,” says Fabienne Roux, communications director for Les Saisies. In order to encourage visitors to adopt greener travel habits, the resort is offering a 10% discount on lift passes to those using the train + bus solution. And to make things more practical, transportation, ski passes and ski lockers can all be booked on the website.

Euromontana is a European cross-sector group fostering cooperation and development of mountainous areas.

Its mission is to promote a “living mountains” concept by pursuing comprehensive, sustainable development and the improved quality of life. The group publishes a “Book of best practices” listing “success stories” to promote the transition. In the Pitztal Valley in Austria, a smartphone app has been designed to encourage workers to carpool using a system of points that can be used in partner businesses. More than 80 towns and companies have signed up to the app. In northern Portugal, in the mountainous region of Terras de-Tràs-Os-Montes, access to administrative services is made easier for residents, particularly the elderly, thanks to fully-equipped “administrative” buses that save isolated people from traveling into town.

In France, thanks to funds allocated as part of the Plan Avenir Montagnes project, different solutions for easier mobility are being developed. For example, in the Briançon region, a more coherent public transportation offering will be rolled out in part thanks to the government’s financial support.

Managing tourist flows

More and more people are visiting the mountains while the length of stays is becoming shorter, which is increasing traffic. The Grenoble-based CIPRA delegation works alongside all industry players in the French Alpine regions and as part of cross-border cooperation projects. As part of the speciAlps2 project, which ended in 2022, measures have been taken to control tourist flows in various Alpine regions. These include limiting vehicle access, introducing payment for carparks, increasing public transport, instating driving bans on certain days, and work on communication and eco-mobility solutions. The pressure on natural spaces will probably continue to grow, especially with the effects of global warming, according to project manager Magdalena Holzer. “There will never be enough initiatives like speciAlps2 to maintain a premium tourism experience and strengthen mutual learning on an Alpine-wide scale.”

FORMICABLE! Using cables to help the forestry industry.

Cable skidding has developed differently in France and Switzerland over the past several decades. Some 300,000m3 are harvested annually in Switzerland, compared to less than 50,000m3 in the Northern Alps. This technique enables wood to be extracted with minimum impact on both soil and biodiversity. It avoids the need to create roads for large machines, limits the production of GHGs, and decreases noise pollution that can disturb wildlife. The Formicable project, coordinated by the Pôle Excellence Bois, is a Franco-Swiss collaboration.

Its objectives were to:

Biodiversity

The major objective of the Avenir Montagnes investment fund focused on sustainable tourism facilities working on year-round diversification, the modernization of facilities and the protection of biodiversity.

Some 15 million euros have been allocated for the restoration of trails and biodiversity, which have been used to finance 85 projects.

- Train forestry workers in cabling techniques.

- Set up certified training courses for forestry apprentices and professionals.

- Promote an economically viable and environmentally positive operating model.

THE RESULTS: 6 young people trained in preparation for engineering functional safety certification, and 200 people trained using educational tools.

REJUVENATION

A recent Euromontana report people found that 66% of young people living in the mountains would like to stay and work there, but transport, education and work opportunities are insufficient.

However, regional revitalization is required to diversify the local offering and develop year-round activities in the mountains, especially among younger generations. As a result, initiatives have been launched to assist and retain them. Looking back at the group’s “Book of best practices,” we can see that actions focused on young people are booming in mountain resorts. In the Pyrenees, isolated refugee minors are being provided with training in mountain professions. To date, of the 15 young people involved in the AVENIR project, eight have found a job while the others are still in training. What’s more, the majority of them have decided to stay in the Pyrenees.

In Norway, the YESpecialists project encourages entrepreneurship among young people living in the mountains and supports their projects. Running from 2020 to 2023, the program is supported by Erasmus and the European Youth Portal.

In the Aragon region of Spain, young people are being given help to find work so that they can stay in the area. This is being led by the “Arago Retorno Joven” programme, which connects them with companies, helps them to settle in and provides them with financial support. Some 156 companies in the region have joined the program. Thanks to this initiative, 332 young people have settled in the region so far.

PRIVATE INITIATIVES

Private initiatives are also emerging alongside research and transition aid programmes. Created in December 2020, the CEC (Convention des Entreprises pour le Climat, of which Alpexpo, the Mountain Planet fair organiser, is a member) brings together 150 economic decisionmakers. Its aim is to develop awareness and transformation programmes for these figures. “The fact that people are using the scientific data that we share makes it possible to spread the mental burden of climate action. Is it up to scientists to carry this alone? No. Decisionmakers must also play their part. And the more levers for action we have, the greater the burden must be,” says Valérie Masson Delmotte, palaeoclimatologist and co-chair of the IPCC Working Group 1, at the Convention’s most recent session last October.

The 150 members of the Convention des Entreprises pour le Climat adopted ten policy proposals for the climate, demanding ambitious measures to fight global warming, pollution and biodiversity loss. Across six two-day sessions spread over 11 months, the selected leaders were joined by leading scientific and educational experts to rethink their company and activities. The overall goal was a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, combined with the priority of protecting biodiversity and regenerating nature.

FUNDS FOR ACTION

• The “Avenir Montagnes” fund has been allocated €331 million. This includes a €300 million component co-financed by the Alpine regions to support investments in line with the plan’s priorities, and a €31 million component to support regional reengineering that requires funding to pursue this type of local investment. More than 670 projects have already been supported in line with three objectives: encouraging diversification of the regional offering and appealing to new customer demographics; accelerating the green transition within Alpine tourism activities; and rejuvenating the leisure property market while halting the rise of “empty beds.”

• As part of the signing of the 2021-2027 Interregional Convention for the Alps (CIMA), the government, the Sud and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions and the RhôneMéditerranée-Corse Water Agency agreed to mobilise more than 250 million euros for mountainous areas. Some 77 million euros were provided by the Avenir Montagnes investment fund launched in 2021 and 2022. A further 173 million euros will be provided until 2027 based on four themed objectives focused on protecting the environment and transitioning towards a more resilient Alpine region.

• The Destination France plan provides the ADEME with additional financial resources to carry out “direct” actions across a part of the sector. The ADEME is piloting four of the plan’s measures with a budget of more than €30 million over the 2023-2024 period: accommodation and restaurants, emerging forms of tourism, bike tourism, and carbon footprints.

During the Tourism Transition General Assembly, Fabrice Pannekoucke, President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Tourism Board, highlighted that the term “Benevolent Tourism” (www.tourismebienveillant.org) chosen by the region signalled its commitment to avoid a clash between the economy and sustainable tourism. He reminded those in attendance that “economic activity remains essential so long as it serves jobs and local life.” There are many pro-environment initiatives. They are certainly not as rapid or spectacular as some would like, but they are being encouraged, highlighted, measured and followed up. It is down to each “benevolent tourist” to do their part.

Green labels

• The European Ecolabel is a tool for eco-designing services and promoting the commitments taken by tourist accommodation providers. The ADEME is responsible for rolling out and promoting the European Ecolabel in France, particularly through specifically allocated funding. Granted to tourist accommodation providers, this certification guarantees ecological excellence and a low environmental impact throughout the service lifecycle, in areas such as water and energy consumption, waste production, and the use of renewable energy. It is a valuable tool for guiding professionals, but also a quality guarantee for tourists, who are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their holidays.

• Launched in 2015 by Mountain Riders, a group known for its waste collection initiatives in ski areas, Flocon Vert certification promotes tourist destinations with ambitious sustainable development polices. Resorts are assessed according to 20 criteria based on governance, the local economy, social and cultural dynamics, and sustainable resource management. “With 20 destinations now certified, our aim is to actively reach out to visitors, tourists and other service users, and invite them to follow the Flocon Vert’s example. This will contribute to changing behaviours and moving towards more conscious and responsible tourism.”

Interview by Marie-France Sarrazin

Laurent Wauquiez, PRESIDENT OF THE AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES REGION

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region has made the mountains its priority, rolling out two aid schemes – the Mountain Plan 2 and the Tourism Plan – to support it in its energy and economic transitions.

What are the results of your Plan Montagne 2, which received €100 million in funding? Can you describe the first projects selected and why they were chosen?

“In the years to come, particularly against the backdrop of global warming, the major challenge for our resorts will be to diversify tourism. That is the objective of this second Mountain Plan, which aims to make AuvergneRhône-Alpes the first sustainable mountain range in Europe. Skiing remains a powerful asset for drawing people to our region, and this is why securing snow coverage is still a major focus of our mission. However, we also need to install new facilities, which will enable our resorts to extend seasonal activities and therefore strengthen the tourist offering. Among the first projects we supported, we invested in a large rail sled in La Norma in Savoie, we launched the XXL zipline in

Chamrousse which, at 1900 metres, will be the longest of its kind in France, and invested in a range of winter sports facilities to be used all year round in the Planards resort in Chamonix. As for the selection criteria, we have a working method based on close ties with players in the field. They are best placed to know which projects are most useful and beneficial for their areas. We are also focused on the environmental impact of different developments, and we are ensuring they are fully integrated into the local mountain landscapes.”

Alongside this first plan, you also launched a regional Plan Tourisme 2022-2028 whose objectives included accelerating the mountain tourism transition. What is the framework of this new plan, what are its areas of action, and does it not clash with the Plan Montagne 2?

“Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is home to the world’s largest ski area, which naturally makes the mountains one of the major tourist assets for our region. As such, devoting a specific plan to them was an obvious and legitimate decision. However, it is far from the only one. We are also the leading French region for outdoor activities and gastronomy. In all sectors, transition and diversification are major challenges to be met if we want to maintain the draw of our region. This is the objective of our Tourism Plan, which represents €300 million that will be invested across six local sectors of excellence: the mountains, of course, as well as outdoor activities, regional exploration, thermal

facilities, gastronomy and wine tourism. We are also supporting independent hotels and holiday centres, while contributing to the renovation of professional accommodation. Through this plan, we are keen to encourage the development of local tourism to showcase our traditions and history. It does not clash with the Mountain Plan. In fact, they both work very well together!”

As part of the year-round diversification of resorts, which is a central pillar of the Plan Montagne 2, what role can innovation play?

Innovation is certainly a core part of our work. By providing new facilities and new experiences, our resorts will stand out and attract new customers. Just look at the rise in the use of electric bicycles in recent years, which has led to a boom in the numbers of summer visitors. The resort of Les Gets is one leading example, and has become a European success story in this sector. Innovation also enables us to limit the environmental impact of our facilities by considering how we can use them all-year-round, building them with new materials, and taking the physical constraints of the sites into account. These are just a few examples that illustrate what we want to do in our region – rising to environmental challenges, not through degrowth, as some extremists have suggested, but through innovation, investment and working with companies and players in our region.”

“Innovation is the foundation of our work”

©CHARLES PIETRI, RÉGION AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES

In all sectors, transition and diversification are major challenges to be met if we want to maintain the draw of our region. This is the objective of our Tourism Plan, which represents €300 million that will be invested across six local sectors of excellence

Take advantage of French expertise for your mountain land management projects

DURABILITY

Cluster Montagne brings together a complete range of skills to face the 7 upcoming challenges for mountain resorts:

PERFORMANCE ACCESSIBILITY INTERACTIVITY AMUSEMENT

SAFETY COOPERATION

FORECASTING THE FUTURE OF MOUNTAIN TOURISM

MOUNTAIN[S] TREND BOOK

A concentrate of reflections and questions from experts and professionals in the sector, trend books are decision support tools.

CHECK OUT FRENCH INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF TOMORROW

CLUSTER MONTAGNE SOLUTIONS is a digital platform allowing tourist offices, mountain resort operators, local authorities, institutions, professionals and users to easily find out about the expertise and activities of French companies in the mountain sector, in France and abroad.

MEET US AT www.cluster-montagne.com

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Dominique Thillaud, GENERAL MANAGER OF COMPAGNIE DES ALPES Investing and getting involved

You are making great strides in reducing your environmental footprint. Even though the season is not over, can you provide us with an environmental overview of this winter?

I don’t have the definitive figures but already our decision to no longer use fossil fuels in any of our ski areas will enable us to reduce our CO2 emissions by around 70% for Scopes 1 and 2 (exact figures to be confirmed at the end of the season). For us this is paramount. I would also add that in the ski areas for which we are not in charge of slope grooming, (Tignes, Val d’Isère and Les Menuires) we have borne the additional cost of HVO (bio-fuel). Our 8 ski areas are the only ones in France to no longer use fossil fuels for grooming slopes.

As regards the Travelski Express (trains chartered from London), we don’t have the figures as of yet because the scheme will continue to run until April, but occupancy rates have been very encouraging. We hope to be able to extend the scheme. Moreover, this year we have added trains from Paris to Bourg-SaintMaurice and Modane.

As a major player in the mountains, do you feel that you should serve as an example for the entire sector?

We do all we can to move in the right direction. If others wish to follow us, then they are free to do so. We have a goal, it is announced and checked each year. We are dedicated to our ski areas, in close collaboration with the resorts’ elected representatives. We work together and do so with real conviction and determination. The environment is a serious matter that we must address, and we are doing so like any other company, far removed from opinions, with order and method, discipline and on a long-term basis. The stakes are very high because by 2030 we are

going to invest more than 50 million euros just to reach net-zero carbon. We are so committed, for ourselves, for our clients and for the elected representatives and inhabitants of the towns and resorts, that we have allocated exceptional means.

You are aiming for Net-Zero Carbon Scope 1 and 2 by 2030. What are your ambitions for Scope 3?

We want things to be clear-cut and scientific. That is why we are having our Scope 3 calculated in tonnes of CO2 for all our sites by 2024. In the meantime, we are taking action, particularly thanks to trains. We are getting regional companies on board and people who are committed to an approach in line with the Paris Agreements. We no longer offer technical assistance for schemes in ski resorts or ‘Snow Dome’ type activities if there is not enough natural snow. There are other issues on which we are working; Scope 3 is an area in which we are going to make significant strides. We are not offsetting but rather making real reductions, and as for residual emissions, we neutralise them locally through planting. We have signed the largest agreement ever concluded in France with the NFO to carry out this project.

Does the group wish to include recent acquisitions as part of this virtuous path, or to turn them into allies?

We took over MMV at the end of last year. Of course, they will also achieve zero carbon seeing as they are part of the group. For Scopes 1 and 2, this is mandatory for being part of the Compagnie des Alpes. We do not have any ambition in mountain restaurants, ski shops and ski schools, as other operators already do this very well. However, wherever there is a need for additional accommodation, we will get involved,

particularly by renovating thermal sieves from the last century, where there is a great amount of work to be done. The trend is to move towards renovation. It is mainly for this reason that we purchased MMV, with their skills and know-how, to be part of the renovation of these thermal sieves. We need to turn these studios and one-bedroom apartments into products which are attractive in both summer and winter alike. We need renovations which offer basic services and activities for visitors. With this in mind, we acquired Evolution2 – the reference operator for outdoor activities, particularly in summer. This acquisition enables us to enrich and enhance the attractivity of the mountains in summer, consistent with the required diversification.

The environment is a serious issue which we are addressing like any other company, far removed from opinions, with order, method, discipline and on a long-term basis.

© JULIEN KNAUB

AIMER LE FUTUR

C’est transformer son expérience pour innover

Guilbaut Colas

Et vous, comment

aimez-vous le futur ?

Partagez votre vision avec #aimerlefutur

grenoblealpes.fr

GRENOBLE ALPES Chamrousse

How can we adapt events management to the green transition?

How can we raise enough awareness to ensure the events sector can transition to a more sustainable model?

“There are different levels of awareness, which are themselves linked to the extent of attachment to the traditional events model. I believe there are three levels to overcome in order to reinvent the model.

Level 1 is the “eco-responsibility” level. This involves the actions carried out for transport, waste, food, energy use, and water. There is no coordinated plan yet, but there are initiatives. This is an important step, but it is not enough to meet current and future challenges.

Level 2 corresponds to the “structuring” of a comprehensive approach. In this level, we are already challenging the existing model more profoundly by working on several areas, including workplace well-being, shared governance and, even more importantly, power distribution and the ability to act, the commitment of our volunteers and partners, and our purchasing policies. We are questioning our values, our vision and our impact. We take a systemic perspective of the subject by challenging the role of our event and its legacy, along with the imprint it will leave on its setting. Lastly, Level 3 is the “transformation” level. This is where we rewrite the rules by looking to the future. How do see my event in five or ten years, and will it help create a world which has more respect for living things? This challenges the very meaning of any project within a region. Accompanying change means moving from one level to the next.

How do you create this collective approach to the transition?

“Events management is a sequence of tasks and actions carried out by people and

organisations. It is a village that has to face the same difficulties as a region but according to a reduced timescale. All the players in the sector must act in order to bring about change, whether organisers, service providers, sponsors, host cities, or even the public in terms of how they “consume” the event. If we want to move beyond eco-responsibility, all players in the sector need to change their outlook on how events are constructed and what they actually mean. This will lead to choices that will have an impact on the ecosystem and the region itself. As organisers, we have to rethink appropriate sizes for events, their appeal, format and duration. This means creating spaces for dialogue and debate to enable all opinions to be expressed. We also have to shift away from a competitive approach to instead foster cooperation and mutual assistance. As we know, the economic aspect puts a major brake on change, so why don’t we consider raising funds for environmental and social innovation, in the same way we do for technology? This funding would make it possible to create secure spaces to trial new ways of working and organising.”

Is self-reinvention a chance to embody the values of a new world?

“Events can be seen as laboratories for transformation. Why not trial new public policies or mechanisms through these unique communication channels? Events help bring imaginations to life, and it is up to us to know what values and ethics we want to share and instil through these public gatherings. There is no secret to the transferability of green practices from events to homes. The public must be regularly confronted with them. Events management can therefore play a key role in building profound societal change.”

Events can be seen as laboratories for transformation. Why not trial new public policies or mechanisms through these unique communication channels?

Charlotte Rotureau, CLIMATE CHANGE CONSULTANT AND THE FOUNDER OF THE EVVI (EVÈNEMENT VIVANT) EVENTS MANAGEMENT COMPANY

THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF THE 2023 FIS ALPINE SKI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN COURCHEVEL-MERIBEL

With 12 days of competitions, 600 athletes from 75 countries and 150,000 spectators, the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships are certainly a high-impact event. As a result, as soon as the bid had been submitted, the organising committee signed a charter of 15 eco-friendly commitments drawn up by the French Ministry of Sports and the WWF.

To push things even further, a CSR policy was put in place, based around nine strategic objectives and four major themes: protecting ecosystems, ecoresponsibility, public inclusion, and raising awareness. The aim was to transform the temporary into the permanent and leave a legacy for future generations.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: to confirm its commitments, the 2023 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships is the first winter sports event to be granted ISO 20121 certification, the only standard for responsible management systems applied to the events sector.

MOBILITY: To move 3,000-5,000 people a day using public transport, 90 vehicles in the RATP Dev fleet, 17 of which run on bioNGV fuel, provided regional, local and inter-site connections.

RESTAURANTS & CATERING: Recycling of 80% of waste, with priority given to eco-responsible packaging.

ELECTRICITY: Connecting to the electricity grid to avoid using generators. 100% of needs covered, excluding TV production. 100% of artificial snow also produced using renewable electricity.

AWARENESS & INCLUSION: 6,000 young people were made aware of global warming and protecting the mountains. Some 25% of the public enjoyed reduced or free rates. In order to favour local people and resort customers, six free “fan zones” were accessible on skis along the slopes to watch the events.

CARBON FOOTPRINT: an objective for a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the carbon footprint of the World Cup finals held in 2022 at the same venues. In real terms, this means going from 192kg of CO2 emissions per spectator to 100kg.

Ingrid Beutler and Neil Beecroft, who work at the agency The Shift, have been helping the global winter sports event to reduce its carbon footprint. Mission accomplished… LE NOUVELLISTE

MOUNTAIN INNOVATIONS: CURRENT AND UPCOMING INNOVATIONS

Par Cécile Ronjat et Marie-France Sarrazin

THE WATER CHALLENGE IN THE MOUNTAINS

MOUNTAIN RESERVOIRS AND CATTLE TROUGHS

The drought in the summer of 2022 highlighted the issues of water sharing in the mountains. In SaintGervais in 2018, a 35,000 m3 lake was created on the Joux alpine pasture site to produce artificial snow. The site had previously been disused for 70 years. “We are incredibly lucky to be able to share water with the Saint-Gervais STBMA and to be able to provide our animals with water from the hill reservoir. If not, we wouldn’t be able to stay here in summer”, explains Flavie Melendez-Rigole from Roches Fleuries farm. In Les Saisies, out of 4 man-made lakes, farmers can use 3 in summer. What’s more, with work on the new Rosière cable-car, 4 km of piping were laid all the way to the summit of Mont Bisanne, also with the aim of supplying water to farmers located on the different mountainsides. These examples of water sharing between ski tourism and farmers prove the importance of multi-use management of water in a world which is warming up.

ELLE A DIT

Daniela Santanchè, Italian Tourism Minister

“Artificially produced snow can be reused in farming. After months of drought, a virtuous circle is created”. (Round table on the snow emergency in the Apennines, January 2023)

Snow guns that produce clean energy

Since the installation of hydroelectric turbines in its artificial snow network almost 6 years ago, La Thuile ski area in Italy has produced clean energy. The hydraulic system collects water from a mountain spring and pipes it to turbines at the base of the resort via the snow gun machine system. The electricity produced is then sold to the Italian electrical grid. This project, spearheaded by Savoie company MND Group, leverages its expertise to help ski areas move towards sustainability and to use their infrastructure year-round. In Serre-Chevalier the snow factory turns into a micro-hydroelectric plant once the winter is over, and Les Arcs, Tignes and Les Menuires are set to follow suit.

The hydraulic system uses the power of the water circulating in the artificial snow network in La Thuile to drive the two turbines producing electricity, which is then injected into the Italian electricity grid belonging to the Val d’Aosta water board.

In Saint-Gervais, a 35,000 m3 lake has been created on the Joux alpine pasture site to produce artificial snow. The pasture had previously been disused for 70 years.

SAINT GERVAIS

STEPSOL, ROBUST ENERGY STORAGE WHICH CAN BE INTELLIGENTLY INCORPORATED INTO ARTIFICIAL SNOW PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT

The STEPSol solution, which was patented after 3 years of research and development with the CEA and INP Grenoble, uses mountain reservoirs and ski resort drainage pipes. The simple idea behind this energy storage is based on the STEP* mechanism: a pump causes water to flow upwards from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir when energy costs are low; the water comes back down and drives a turbine when energy costs are high. Apart from creating useful storage by reusing artificial snow production equipment in a non-invasive manner, where is the innovation? STEPSol has developed a specific sizing tool and steering algorithms to optimise the system. After a conclusive technical-economic feasibility study, conducted on the facilities at the Villard-de-Lans resort, the first project is currently under development. It is also supported by the Savoie electricity generator, Energy Pool.

*STEP: Pumped (or Hydraulic Battery) Energy Transfer Station

KEY FIGURE

3, 2, 1

3, 2, 1 are the figures of the Grand’Maison hydroelectric power plant.

Three for the number of cities it can supply simultaneously (Grenoble, Lyon and Chambéry), as well the number of minutes it takes to start up the plant and supply electricity to the French electrical grid. Two for the number of nuclear reactors it represents in terms of power. And one for its European ranking.

Mobile and emergency solutions using carbon recipients to remove pollutants from flows of liquid and steam.

SOS, TECHNOLOGY IN AID OF WATER

The United Nation’s 2019 World Water Development report estimates that by 2050, world demand will exceed current levels by one third. To save water, technology offers us solutions. Solution 1: waste water management. From collection to distribution and use, pumping systems, analysis and treatment equipment, heat exchangers and distribution systems now enable waste water to be reused. At Evoqua Water, we innovate through high purity disinfection and filtration applications. Thermo Fisher and Danaher sell cutting-edge purification technologies. Solution 2: smart monitoring of water using sensors, software and smart connected grids like Itron, to track consumption, use, distribution and even leaks. Final solution: technology in farming for greater sustainability and streamlined management of needs.

A technical-economic feasibility study conducted on the facilities at the Villard-de-Lans resort proved conclusive.

STEPSOL

EVOQUA

Wellbeing, the trump card for mountain spa resorts

As part of the diversification strategy of mountain areas, spa towns have a card up their sleeve as they search for a broader customer base and an up-to-date image. In the wake of Covid, which severely impacted and continues to impact spas, and as the Future Blueprint for the Mountains [Plan Avenir Montagnes] is being deployed, the French National Association of Elected Representatives from Mountain Areas (Anem) commissioned a study entitled, “Mountain Spa Resorts, a New Wellbeing Destination”. “Thermal spring water and altitude offer recognised therapeutic virtues; these resorts are located in prime, natural and cultural heritage locations and already possess the infrastructure they need to welcome tourists. They are sitting on a goldmine”, Anem was told. These resources must be put to use. The 47 resorts offer a variety of different profiles: some only offer spa treatments, while others focus on health or combine sport and wellness. Some others offer a poorly coordinated and non-specialised offer. The report concludes that the resorts should ride the wave of current aspirations for greener tourism, with an onus on wellness. According to Atout France, since 2015, the wellness sector has witnessed annual growth of between 8 and 12% in France. 51% of mountain spa resorts already provide wellbeing activities – the first step towards a conversion into a wellness destination – which offer four predominant benefits: disconnection-reconnection, relaxation, health and rejuvenation.The Anem study also identifies the need to create a national collective strategy, by developing a common identity and building a coherent offer. To begin their transition, resorts must make use of mechanisms, some of which they already benefit from: the Future Blueprint for the Mountains [Plan Avenir Montagnes] (31 resorts concerned), Small Towns of Tomorrow [Petites villes de demain] and Town Centre Action [Action cœur de ville].

Pyrenees, Vosges, Alps, Massif Central, Jura: the major mountain ranges are home to 50% of France’s spa resorts. Pictured here is Aquensis spa in Bagnères-deBigorre.

HYDROELECTRICITY –GRAND’MAISON PLANT

Above Romanche valley, Grand’Maison is the most powerful Pumped Energy Transfer Station in Europe, with 1,800 MWe of installed capacity. The upper reservoir (Grand’Maison dam at 1,695 m, with a capacity of 140 million m3) is connected 950 m lower down to a lower reservoir (Verney Lake, 14,3 million m3). Grand’Maison is made up of two plants, an external one equipped with 4 generating units and another underground unit made up of 8 reversible groups, which work both as turbines and as pumps. In peak consumption periods, the plant pumps water from the upper reservoir, which joins up with the lower reservoir. During off-peak periods, water from the lower reservoir is pumped towards the upper reservoir. The system is thus able to promptly manage consumption peaks and to use ‘excess’ electricity during periods of low consumption.

Climate change, especially in the mountains, where its effects are particularly noticeable, calls for better water governance, which in turn, requires better data management. Through its Enki software, Watershed monitoring offers integrated and participative management to obtain geolocation-based information and to help decision-makers to take well-reasoned decisions in terms of protection and management.

The company produces a scientific analysis of the drainage area, sources of pollution and heat, and the area’s use; a vulnerability analysis by studying the development, infrastructure quality and skills of the teams. “We work from source to tap, right up to discharge, to develop performance ratings and communication between decision-makers and the public”, concludes Sarah Goubet, project leader.

Agiro, the water manager for the Lake Saint-Charles drainage area in Quebec, adopted the software to track the quality and quantity of water in the drainage area, offer protection and restoration plans and work on an upstream-downstream solidarity project. In France, the Intercommunal Committee of Arcachon Bay [Syndicat intercommunal du bassin d’Arcachon] has developed a water quality data base. “Enki has enhanced their decisionmaking process and the way they draw up their report, which used to take between a few weeks and two months, and now takes only a few days”.

PREDICTING THE EMERGENCE OF CYANOBACTERIA

Cyanobacteria impact not only the health of ecosystems, but also that of people and animals, which may ingest them or which may bathe in contaminated lakes, ponds and water ways. These blue-green algae blooms are increasing in number due to global warming and present a major health risk which impacts drinking water, bathing, fishing and agriculture. “There are ways to detect them from space. But by then it is too late because they already exist”, sums up Mathieu Damour, Artificial Intelligence Manager at Scalian. Through the Nerthus project, the company has come up with a solution for predicting water contamination by biological agents sensitive to global warming, by gathering space, meteorological and field data. The tool can predict the emergence several days in advance, in order to alert decision-makers, consumers, companies and farmers in a given area. “The feasibility study, conducted in 2021/2022, demonstrated the commercial viability of our approach, as well as its scientific and technical feasibility. The French National Centre for Space Studies [Centre national d’études spatiales] validated our work. We have embarked on an industrialisation process which will enable us to deploy the solution in different areas”, explained Mr Damour.

Climate change requires better water governance. MFS

Tracking the quality of a drop of water, from its source to its discharge point

WATER: INSTRUMENTATION IS NOT SUFFICIENT

In 10 or 20 years from now, the mountain hydro system will be turned upside down due to climate change. This is due to a faster increase in average temperature than in low-land areas, a more brutal alternation between very hot and very cold weather, precipitation which is similar in quantity but distributed differently throughout the year, changing flow of rivers, an early flood peak in spring, and, as a result, a modified water filling method.

In terms of consumption, there will be increased demand in resorts, due to a rise in the number of spas, artificial snow coverage, the development of hydroelectric micro-plants and farm facilities – made possible due to milder temperatures.

There will also be economic repercussions for areas which make a living from water-related activities.

“With amounts of water that we have less control over and which are set to decrease and increasing use, what is the solution?”, asks Marion Douarche, Geographer and Head of the Cimeo Design Office in SaintChaffrey (Hautes-Alpes). We know how to manage energy and water in pipes, but managing water in the natural environment is more difficult”. Especially because information about water is lacking, contrasting and not representative in every area. The picture is the same when it comes to uses. Marion Dourache calls for relevant instrumentation, coupled with regular local monitoring to improve knowledge. “It’s costly but necessary”.

The level of Lake Serre-Ponçon is the focus of study due to its many uses: water supply, producing hydroelectricity, flood regulation and tourism.

Predicting water table levels

Atos’ artificial intelligence centre carried out a project with some twenty partners from Hérault, local authorities, joint agencies, the Chamber of Agriculture, the Water Agency, Météo France and other technological companies to predict water table levels and the impact climate change has on them. The tool developed uses data from piezometers, precipitation and temperatures to simulate water table behaviour. “We can obtain accurate two-to-three-year predictions. We are still at the prototype stage”, announced Antoine Olgiati, Head of South-East France Innovation at Atos. Editor’s Note: A piezometer measures the pressure of liquids.

MOUNTAIN INNOVATIONS: CURRENT AND UPCOMING INNOVATIONS

MOBILITY, SNOW GROOMING AND SNOW

PRODUCTION

START AND SKI in Valloire

This ski lift remains idle while it waits for you and starts up when you arrive. To limit energy expenditure and to preserve resources, some lifts can shut down when there are no skiers.

THE NEW DOPPELMAYR TRI-CABLE GONDOLA LIFT

Doppelmayr has released a new tri-cable gondola lift named TRI-line, the first model of which is currently being rolled out in Switzerland’s Hoch-Ybrig resort. It combines the advantages of the D-Line and of the 3S gondola lift, while remaining compact. The new version boasts high wind stability, a reduced floor space and is quick and easy to assemble.  In this connected gondola lift, functions can be built in and controlled directly via the Doppelmayr connect control system, which is compatible with the AURO autonomous driving system.

TRI-line can carry up to 8,000 passengers per hour in 20-place carriages. It boasts 12 seats in each carriage, which adapt to all configurations, for summer and winter activities alike in resorts or in an urban setting. Its electric doors open on both sides and offer same level entry and exit – particularly suited to persons with reduced mobility.

THE COMPAGNIE DES ALPES PHASES OUT FOSSIL FUELS FOR ITS SNOW GROOMERS

All the ski areas operated by the Compagnie Des Alpes phased out fossil fuels in the 2022/2023 season for their snow groomers. Their engines now run on HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) fuel. This bio-fuel is produced using sustainable vegetable oils, or those from reprocessed waste material (used fats and vegetable oils – excluding palm oil). It features the same chemical structure as a standard fuel and can be used exclusively by an engine. HVO fuel reduces CO2 emissions by 90% and fine particle emissions by 65%. The migration of all 130 snow groomers during the 2022-2023 season will result in a reduction of the equivalent of 9,900 tonnes of CO2 per year, that is the equivalent of 72% of direct carbon emissions for mountain activities excluding electricity.

90%

TRI-line offers high wind stability and comfort of use.

The percentage of CO2 emissions snow grooming is responsible for in a ski area

DOPPELMAYR

ARTIFICIAL SNOW – IT’S THERMODYNAMICS!

Cold air and water are the two ingredients required to make artificial snow. There is no chemistry and no magic product. By spraying droplets of water under pressure in cold air using snow guns, they freeze and transform into ice crystals, which, when the snow thaws, are returned to the environment. New technologies have enabled the starting temperature of snow guns to be decreased, making snow production possible at a positive isotherm, in favourable weather conditions. Due to the low drop height of artificial snow, (from snow guns or lances to the ground), the snow produced has a crystal structure which is slightly different from that of natural snow, and smaller snowflakes. There are no other differences in the spot the difference game.

ALPE D’HUEZ OPTS FOR HYDROGEN

To move towards carbon neutrality, in the winter of 22/23, Alpe d’Huez, one of the resorts operated by the SATA Group, tested a prototype hydrogen snow groomer from a retrofit of a combustion-powered snow groomer. The development and fine-tuning phase will continue during the winter of 2023-2024. SATA Group has already ordered the retrofit of five snow groomers and three hydrogen buses from GCK (Green Corp Konnection).

Snow production: what investment, what reliability?

In terms of investment, the snow machine model variable should be considered. At TechnoAlpin, the TR10, boasting the greatest snow-making capacity on the market, produces around 10 trucks of snow per hour in favourable weather conditions. The automated TR10 fan gun costs the equivalent of a mid-range estate car, while a lance represents an investment of a third of this amount. The service life of the equipment spans several decades. Today, thanks to smart management systems built into the machines, modern automatic snow guns require up to 30% less energy than manual systems. As for water: 1 m3 of water can produce on average 2.5 m3 of snow, considering that you need 1,000 m3 of water to cover a one-hectare slope (approx. 30 cm snow depth).

A snow groomer being retrofitted.

MOUNTAIN INNOVATIONS: CURRENT AND UPCOMING INNOVATIONS

RESORT MOBILITY – THE MOVE VALLEY LIFTS IN THE FRENCH ALPS

SNOW FARMING THE EXAMPLE OF BANFF SUNSHINE IN CANADA

In Banff Sunshine in Alberta, snow farming has been practiced since the mid-seventies. The resort installs kilometres of fence posts above the treeline to capture large quantities of windblown snow. If not, it would be lost or spread out too randomly. When the slopes lack snow, staff spread this natural supply over specific areas. With restricted access to water, preventing the production of artificial snow, snow farming is a good way of getting the most from natural resources. “We capture Mother Nature’s snowfall”, explains Ian Curran, Director of Mountain Operations at Banff Sunshine. “We use available resources and we optimise the conditions created by the weather”.

While the Funiflaine (Magland/Flaine) was axed, other valley lift projects are in the pipeline. In the Mont-Blanc area, the Saint-Gervais/Le Fayet project, with an estimated cost of 14 million euros, should see works begin in spring 2023. In the Tarentaise Valley, the Bozel/Courchevel link is aiming for commissioning by 2024. For the time being, the proposal by the Société des 3 Vallées, the only operator to have answered the call for tender, is under consideration. In Oisans, the Bourg d’Oisans/Huez project, with an estimated cost of 40 million euros, is also in the pipeline, with commissioning planned for the winter season 24/25. The following projects are still in the study phase: Aime/La Plagne, Bourg-Saint-Maurice/La Rosière and Chamrousse Le Recoin/Roche Béranger. Finally, other projects have been examined, and are at various stages of assessment: the link between Thônes and La Clusaz, between Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, Valloire or Valmeinier in the Northern Alps, the connection between Guillestre and Risoul and between Barcelonnette and Le Sauze in the Southern Alps.

… AND ABROAD

- More than 300 links in Switzerland

- Austria: the Vorarlberg Wälderbahn Dornbirn Lichtenstein community – a 2 site project developer – the Penkenbahn in Mayrhofen, the 3S Eisgrat de Stubaier Gletscher, etc.

- Italy: in Bolzano the Colle cable-car (Kohlerer Bahn), the Renon (Rittner Seilbahn) cable-car and the San Genesio Atesino (Jenesien-Seilbahn) cable-car

- China, Vietnam, Peru, Chile: lift installations (valley/ city/mountains) for accessing tourist attractions

5,000 m3

The snow reserve necessary – stored using the snow farming technique –to cover a 3 km cross-country ski slope.

Tout l’intérêt de l’ascenseur valléen de Siant Gervais est qu’il permettra à terme de rejoindre aussi le domaine skiable.

THE YEAR THE SNOW-FARMING TECHNIQUE WAS FIRST USED IN FRANCE, AT TUFFES STADIUM IN PRÉMANON (JURA).

WE HEAR FROM

Léo Guilbert, Director of Nordic France, the French National Manager of cross-country ski areas.

“Snow farming is a kind of recycling if you will. Artificial snow can be stored better because it is denser and is more resistant to climatic variations”.

SNOW FARMING: WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

In concrete terms, snow farming means keeping artificial or natural snow from one winter to the next, by storing it as large mounds, protected from the spring thaw and the summer heat by 50 centimetres of wood shavings. At the end of the autumn, the wood shavings are removed from the snow (and kept to be used again) which is then de-compacted and spread out across the slopes. In the Glières Nordic ski area, the technique enables the season to open early. Les Confins-La Clusaz, les Saisies, Bessans (11,000 m³ stored during the 2021/2022 season) and Grand-Bornand all also use the technique.

So, what’s the controversy over? The use of water for making artificial snow, as a complement to natural snow, which is then snow farmed. This controversy struck Grand-Bornand in December 2022, when 12,000 m3 of snow stored at a higher altitude site was transported by truck to the Sylvie Becaert Stadium, to prepare the slopes for the Biathlon World Cup competitions. Detractors questioned the prioritisation of water uses rather than the process of storing snow in itself.

Bessans stored 11,000 m3 of snow in 2021-22. D. CUVELIER

SCIENCE: WHEN THE FUTURE OF SNOW COVER CAN BE READ IN THE CARDS

FUNIFLAINE AXED

Thanks to Climsnow (Dianeige, INRAE and MétéoFrance consortium), a modelling tool for changes in snow cover, with forecasts as far as 2100, scientists can now predict the future of snow in the mountains. The super-calculators consider several types of data: altitude, inclination of slopes, the orientation of the sun, the kind of snow, temperature and wind speed, all modelled on maps according to several scenarios, which are either more or less favourable depending on the level of greenhouse gas emissions. By providing visibility about the future of snow cover in a warming world, Climsnow informs resorts about the viability of artificial snow equipment investments and can help them select more sustainable development projects before 2050 and beyond. It can do this for every resort, slope and even every slope sub-sector. In just two years, the team has made projections for 135 French resorts, including 48 in the Sud Region, which has ordered a special study.

Climsnow analyses the capacity of resorts to continue operations, what efforts will be required, by what method and over what timeframe.

Due to additional costs, the Funiflaine, which aimed to link in under 20 minutes Arve Valley (leaving from Magland) and the resort of Flaine by 2025, was axed last spring. With an estimated cost of 88.5 million euros, there was a risk that the budget could increase by 30% to absorb the sharp increase in the price of raw materials and the time delay. The Funiflaine Joint Association passed a deliberation on 17 May 2022 confirming that works would cease.

The number of ski resorts studied since 2020 by Climsnow, a tool for predicting snow coverage introduced by Météo France, Dianeige and Inrae.

MOUNTAIN MERCHANDISE

HUB: UNDER CONSIDERATION

After tests in 2019 of Beti, the autonomous electric shuttle bus in Val Thorens, Drôme coach company, Bertolami is still considering the concept of a merchandise centre in the resort. The idea is to open a merchandise hub in the valley to serve as a logistics platform, where merchandise would be loaded and passengers would board and be taken to the resort via decarbonised shuttle. “In the mountains, the concept needs to be considered. Assessment time is lengthy due to budget prioritisation for other projects, including valley lifts. While the resort’s former shuttle was free of charge, the autonomous shuttle must face up to a different economic reality. We are therefore continuing to educate mountain areas and we are preparing the French regulatory and legal ground”, explains Benjamin Beaudet, General Manager of Beti et Bertolami, elected European Talent in Mobility 2022 at the European Mobility Expo. While the mountains are still taking time to consider, the Val de Drôme federation of municipalities and the Cruas-Meysse power plant have, meanwhile, already moved over to the autonomous shuttle, with the commissioning of Beti vehicles, offering users an automated horizontal mobility service.

AIR TAXI, THE FUTURE IS NOW

We expect to see air taxis in the skies above Paris by 2024, in time for the Olympic Games. The project, spearheaded by German start-up Volocopter, the ADP group and RATP, performed a flight under real conditions last November. The Volocity, an electric aircraft which takes off and lands vertically, like XXL drones with 18 rotors and 9 batteries, can transport two people (the pilot and one passenger), and also prove useful for logistics, maintenance and surveillance operations, from healthcare to medical transport. Two routes are envisaged in Paris: from the Issy-les-Moulineaux heliport to Saint-Cyr-l’École airport, and from Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport to a site at the Quais d’Austerlitz. While the 2024 flights will serve as a showcase, commercial development is set to start at the end of the decade. The cost of a ride will be the same as for a passenger car with driver, we are assured. So, when will we see air taxis in the mountains?

GUILLAUME GEYNET

TRAVELSKI EXPRESS NEW DESTINATIONS FOR 2022/2023. SKI HOLIDAYS ARE CHUGGING ALONG NICELY

Introduced in winter 21/22, starting from Saint-Pancras in London (to replace the Eurostar which was axed during Covid), Travelski Express is speeding up its development by offering a train from Paris to several new French Alpine destinations from winter 22/23. By stepping up a gear on the rails, Travelski, a specialist of winter sports holidays, taken over in 2018 by the Compagnie des Alpes, hopes to make its train + stay package into a customer experience lever to help mountain regions with their transition. “As a tour-operator, we have a role to play in the economic transition of the Alps”, explains General Manager, Guillaume de Marcillac. During the 21/22 season, 5,000 British travellers used the London-Les Alpes line. For 22/23, the offer is expanding, with a train from Gare de Lyon in Paris to 5 Alpine resorts (Chambéry, Moûtiers, Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and Modane), for a total of 21 ski resorts served in the Maurienne and Tarentaise Valleys. 18,000 seats will go on sale this year.

FLIGHT-FREE SKIING

Flight-free Skiing is the motto of Ski Flight Free, a campaign which aims to encourage skiers to final alternative ways to travel to Alpine resorts. The goal being to reduce CO2 emissions, and one of the alternatives to planes are trains. On its website and social networks, Ski Flight Free provides information about mountain train lines, gives case studies for each line, deciphers the use of renewable energies in resorts and shares studies regarding customers’ expectations in terms of sustainable travel and land planning. “Climate change indicates that it is time to try train travel”, explains Iain Martin, founder of the new Ski Flight Free campaign.

skiflightfree.org

Robi: mission accomplished

‘Robi’, the luggage robot in the Swiss resort of Saas-Fee, fulfilled its mission with 450 journeys last summer and 660 kilometres on the clock. Tested between October and November 2021, and again in summer 2022, the autonomous, remote controlled luggage assistant was a resounding success among locals and holidaymakers alike. Validated in ‘follow me’ mode, where it followed after clients, Robi was also tested in automated mode, using a virtual map. The pilot project will now be followed by an assessment stage of test data and users’ behavioural data.

WE HEAR FROM

Anne de Bortoli, a transport expert from the Parisian Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées:

“The carbon footprint of an urban cable-car causes three times less impact than a bus and five times less than a car”.

CARPOSTAL

CHOO CHOO!

AUSTRIA’S SNOW SPACE SALZBURG SKI AREA TRANSPORTS VISITORS TO THE RESORT BY TRAIN FOR FREE

Since this winter, you can travel free of charge by public transport to one of the large Snow Space Salzburg ski areas in Flachau, Wagrain and St. Johann/Alpendorfen, for the online purchase of a ski or cross-country ski pass from the province of Salzburg. The initiative is part of the ski area’s overall strategy to cut CO2 emissions drastically and to reach carbon neutrality by 2025. The consideration about traffic (responsible for around 70% of the emissions from a day of skiing) is the backbone of the resort’s sustainable development strategy. This new offer is made possible thanks to cooperation between Snow Space Salzburg Bergbahnen, the Salzburg Transport Association and the Province of Salzburg.

- Transport from anywhere in the country by public transport is free

- Regional and long-distance traffic schemes

- Goal to achieve a CO2 neutral ski day

URBAN CABLECARS AGAINST POLLUTION

Introduced in spring 2022, the last two urban lines delivered by Poma, in Toulouse and in Saint-Denis de la Réunion, have already transported 1 million people. France, a pioneer in Europe, is opening the way to mobility that makes sense, by opting for transport which is accessible to all, fast and environmentally-friendly in its urban areas. As the longest urban cable-car ever built in France (3 km), the Toulousaine Téléo line can transport 8,000 passengers/day, ultimately bringing about a reduction in road traffic. On the subject of urban cable-cars, Anne de Bortoli, a transport expert from the Parisian Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées points out, “their carbon footprint is very low. We must focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in towns and cities, and promoting the use of electric public transport is the future”.

Focus: Comparison: which is the most polluting method of transport?

1. 14 g of CO2/passenger/km for trains

2. 42 g of CO2/passenger/km for small cars

3. 55 g of CO2/passenger/km for average size cars

4. 68 g of CO2/passenger/km for buses

5. 72 g of CO2/passenger/km for motorised twowheel vehicles

6. 285 g of CO2/passenger/km for planes

(Source: European Environment Agency reports – 2019)

The end of combustion engine engines

GCK specialises in decarbonising methods of transportation. The Savoie company boasts recognised expertise in electric and hydrogen retrofits of combustion engine vehicles. Last year, the operator of the Alpe d’Huez ski area, Sata Group and Resalp, the resort’s urban bus operator, ordered five snow groomers and three hydrogen retrofitted buses from them respectively. How does it work? Each snow groomer is fitted with a 320-kW electric engine with maximum torque of 850 Newton-metres. The fuel cell, capable of producing 150 kW, is powered by 70 kg of 700 bar hydrogen and a battery. This transformation does not affect the work of snow groomer drivers at all, with similar climbing and acceleration performance and eight hours of autonomy.

The retrofitted Kässbohrer Pistenbully retains its functional characteristics; it is capable of climbing steep slopes and of reaching a maximum speed of 23 km/h.

“We are making the final touches in order to carry out tests on the slopes at the end of the winter, with the aim of commissioning the first snow groomer next winter”, explains Sébastien de Chaunac, Marketing Director of GCK. For buses, the homologation process is lengthier. “They are tested in a closed area at the Charade track, close to Clermont-Ferrand”. They will be commissioned between 2024 and 2025.

GCK also retrofits utilitarian vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, work site machinery and even boats. It has received orders for hydrogen retrofitted coaches for the Ardèche transport company, Ginhoux and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, and is set to equip the five excursion boats belonging to Lake Annecy’s Compagnie des Bateaux with electric engines.

Overall, 2022 was a year of very strong growth for the group, which owns eight companies, with a leap from 65 to 150 employees. The year was marked by the opening of its industrial site in Lempdes, Puy-de-Dôme and the launch of its hydrogen distribution company, Flex’hy. “In 2023, we are sure to pass the 200-employee mark and we aim to double our turnover. We will continue to develop our electric and hydrogen combustion engines and we hope to homologate most of the vehicles we retrofit, so that we can launch mass production of some of them by the end of the year”.

ELECTRIC BUS: VALBUS TURNS ELECTRIC

In Val d’Isère, the entire free public transport network, Valbus, is turning its back on fossil fuels to focus on greener energy. The entire fleet will be gradually upgraded, with the aim of 15 electric buses by 2025 and savings of the equivalent of 18 tonnes of CO2 per year and per vehicle.

OFF-ROAD QUADRICYCLE

E-Spider is an electric, off-road, lightweight, silent and environmentally-friendly quadricycle. It is making waves and its unique look is already creating a buzz on social networks. Built by Drôme company, Swincar, it moves silently across uneven terrain thanks to its totally independent all-wheel drive and steering, ensuring optimised car-to-ground connection. E-Spider is accessible to all, including persons with reduced mobility.

The Kässbohrer Pistenbully being retrofitted in the Lempdes plant.

GCK

TIGNES LAUNCHES ITS MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT RESERVATION SYSTEM

GoTignes is a reservation system which uses unique Antidots technology. It enables users to book and pay for their journey in one transaction, for any kind of transport and with an onus on the most virtuous alternatives. For each journey, CO2 emissions and travel time are displayed and the least carbon-emitting solution is offered by default. GOTignes.net is a customisable travel companion which optimises journeys while encouraging users to reduce their carbon footprint.

GROWING ELECTRICAL NEEDS

Carbon neutrality by 2050 requires the replacement of fossil fuels by cleaner energy. Of the 1,600-terawatt hours consumed in France today, the lion’s share comes from fossil fuels and 25% from electricity. “Even by reducing our consumption by 40%, reliance on electricity will grow (55%)”, announced Gilles Odone, RTE Méditerranée Representative. The body has studied possible means of supplying this electricity and has come up with 14 different scenarios. If France opts to phase out nuclear energy and reaches 100% renewable energies in 2050, “from an electrical point of view, it’s possible, but you would need 21 times more solar panels, 4 times more on-shore wind farms and you would have to install 62 giga watt of offshore wind farms”. RTE has contemplated a scenario with 50% nuclear and 50% renewable energies and another which combines 26% nuclear with renewable energies. “All the scenarios devised are electrically sound. The higher the proportion of renewable energies used, the more networks will be required, as we will have a greater reliance on neighbouring countries”, warns Gilles Odone.

ASTUTE MANAGEMENT OF ARTIFICIAL SNOW PRODUCTION

Prosnow helps users to produce the right quantity of snow at the right moment. It is an interactive web interface financed by Europe and designed by 13 scientific partners, including Météo France and Dianeige and 9 German, Swiss, Austrian, Italian and French pilot resorts. The tool supplies ski area operators with daily or seasonal forecasts for the whole resort or a particular sector. Its little brother, Tipsnow, developed by Météo France and Dianeige, helps users to know if, with a given stock of snow, a resort can hold on until the end of the holidays or the end of the season.

Tipsnow lets users know if the quantity of snow will be enough to last until the end of the season.

FREEPIK

Carbon neutrality by 2050 requires the replacement of fossil fuels by cleaner energy.

FLEXIBLE RECHARGE

By 2050, will the 30 million electric vehicles on the market be manageable?

If everyone charges their cars at the same time in the future and in the same area, it could prove problematic. Consuming at the right time is key. The aVEnir scheme, managed by Enedis on behalf of Ademe, and in collaboration with Grenoble and Aix-Marseille Universities, is making plans for the large-scale deployment of a smart charging scheme for electric vehicles and the required flexibility this implies.

The 10 million Euro project is based on the study of 12 sites in real conditions –public highways, residential areas and tertiary use sites – and an analysis of 42 surveys on user behaviour. It covers a large portion of the mobility ecosystem: Enedis, car manufacturers, terminal manufacturers, energy suppliers, terminal operators, etc. “Flexibility, means charging your vehicle at the most appropriate time, for example when there is excess local solar panel production, or plugging it in for longer. Users must be informed in advance and there should be incentive-based pricing”, suggests Frédéric Rychen, Professor at the Economy and Management Faculty of Aix-Marseille University. “Cars can also be discharged to feed into the system in the case of a consumption peak”, adds Gilles Odone, RTE Méditerranée representative.

FOUR SEASON SNOW GROOMER

A snow groomer is designed for use on snow, not on other surfaces, which could cause damage to its drive belt. IDM has designed ColorLine, a winter/summer drive belt which meets climate challenges and the diversification of activities. Its aluminium and polyurethane strips enable use on hard and soft snow, earth and concrete, for exiting a garage, crossing roads, grooming shallow depths of snow and climbing any type of sloping terrain. All while moving snow efficiently, which remains its primary function!

Local consumption

“Given the weight of batteries electrical vehicles contain, you need a local electron to feed it, not one which has travelled 400 km, otherwise you are missing the point”, explains Stéphane Raizin, General Manager of Territoire d’Énergie des HautesAlpes. Consuming electricity produced locally means gaining from losses, generally speaking.

“But you shouldn’t depend entirely on local production, as this would require an increased number of production systems. To power a household, you need a large number of solar panels, or even batteries to power it at night, which means a significant investment. Pooling is useful. We must, of course, vary types of energy: wind power, solar panels and hydroelectric. Today, production is very centralised, but gradually it is becoming more decentralised”, points out Gilles Odone, RTE Méditerranée representative.

Drive belts enable use on surfaces other than snow.

IDM

LEITHWOLF H2 MOTION, THE WORLD’S FIRST HYDROGEN ENGINE SNOW GROOMER

During the Skiing World Cup, organised in Flachau, Austria, Italian snow groomer manufacturer, Prinoth presented the world’s first snow groomer with a hydrogen engine, the Leithwolf h2 Motion, equipped with an internal combustion engine by Italian group, FTP Industrial, the XC 13. It is a flexible multi-fuel engine, designed using a unique base. The hydrogen version engine, with a capacity of 13 litres and six cylinders, delivers power of 460 hp (338 kW) and 2000 Nm of torque. The hydrogen is stored in five tanks located to the rear of the snow groomer and gives more than three hours of autonomy.

The Leithwolf h2 Motion, which is still in the testing phase, has not yet been put on the market.

WE HEAR FROM

“An electric vehicle is a battery on four wheels, which can prove useful for households. It contains the equivalent of five days’ power consumption of the average household – more than sufficient to cope with peaks”.

Stéphane Raizin, General Manager of Territoire d’Énergie des Hautes-Alpes

Hydrogen is stored in five tanks located to the rear of the snow groomer and gives more than three hours of autonomy.

INNOVATING TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY

Upgradeability, adaptability, sustainability, simplicity… Because it is committed to reducing Man’s environmental footprint, POMA channels the best of its innovation into a selection of evermore efficient, environmentally friendly products and services.

The Group is committed to a Sustainable approach known as LIFE R’way (Low Impact For the Environment), in which the following areas of improvement are now under way:  Less raw materials, less energy in the manufacturing processes, short supply chains, increased worker safety with less consumables and less impact on the construction site, reduced energy consumption, recyclability or recovery at end of life.

Let’s take a look at the solutions POMA provides to promote soft, sustainable mobility.

• UP TO 20% ENERGY SAVINGS WITH ECODRIVE, which regulates the speed of aerial lifts automatically based on the number of passengers, ensuring minimal energy consumption. ECODRIVE is 100 % configurable and lets you track energy savings via an interface with the SKADII digital services platform.

• INNOVATIVE LINERS CODEVELOPED BY POMA AND MICHELIN offer an efficient solution throughout their life cycle. Up to 10% energy savings generated thanks to a low rolling resistance, a 100 % longer shelf life, a low-carbon manufacturing process made in France by MICHELIN, bio-sourced materials, the end of their life taken in charge for recycling... Products will be available in the course of 2023 for an increasingly sustainable mobility!

• THE POWER OPTION, A SOLAR SOLUTION thanks to innovative semi-rigid solar panels installed in station covering and which surface has been specially designed to optimise the performance of the solar cells. The POWER option now available for the roofing of the new LIFE station is setting even higher standards, by increasing energy production by 28 %. The modules are also “PV CYCLE” certified, meaning they have been approved by an international organisation that manages module end of life and recycling.

www.poma.net

Is the sum invested in 2022 in French ski areas. An increase of 41.8% with regard to the previous season and 17.1% higher than the ten yearly average, the amount is the highest this decade. In France this year, operators reinvested 26.1% of their turnover before taxes.

Optimal snow grooming

Savings of fuel, CO2, water and electricity and boosted productivity are all offered by the technology developed by Snowsat, which has been adopted, amongst others, by Alpe d’Huez resort. Thanks to an onboard GPS in their snow groomer, the driver has precise knowledge of the thickness of the snow coverage beneath their vehicle and even up to 50 m ahead or to the sides, on a surface area of up to 2,600 m² with SNOWsat LiDAR. They can therefore optimise grooming, move snow in a precise manner, create a uniform slope, including when there is little available snow, and maximise the number of skiable days. Another corollary advantage is that the data on snowfall enables more accurate planning of artificial snow production.

Thanks to the onboard GPS, drivers know the exact thickness of the snowpack.

SNOWSAT

CM DUPON RELEASES THE WORLD’S FIRST ELECTRIC SNOW GROOMER IN A STANDARD SIZE

Last year at the Mountain Planet Fair, Romain Dupon, who helms CM Dupon in Pontcharra (Isère), presented the world’s first fully electric snow groomer of a standard size, designed upon request by the Compagnie des Alpes (CDA). Tested in La Plagne last winter after two years of work, the preproduction model of the Alpine B400 was on the snow this winter to validate its industrialisation prior to commercialisation.

The manufacturer is in discussions with several French and foreign resorts to deploy the model. The electric snow groomer, which can be fully recharged in just two hours, boasts an autonomy of six hours, an energy yield

twice as high as that of a combustion-powered vehicle, instant traction power and a longer operating life, estimated at 10 years compared with 7 years on average for a combustion-powered snow groomer. While it is more expensive to buy, it works out as being less so if operating expenses are considered. “The machine is simpler to maintain because there are no high-pressure hydraulics. It can also be retrofitted”, explains Romain Dupon.

Continually searching for new methods of decarbonisation, the CDA asked CM Dupon to develop a H2 range extender, a hydrogen motor, that the operator will test out in 2024 in one of its resorts.

The world’s first fully electric snow groomer of a standard size was presented last year at the Mountain Planet Fair.

L’Alpine B400 CM Dupon, a new electric version made in France

MOUNTAIN INNOVATIONS: CURRENT AND UPCOMING INNOVATIONS

TECH TODAY

The ConnX system developed by LEITNER is based on a cable car whose cabin at the station is transformed into an autonomous vehicle which can then continue on its own track.

Artificial intelligence used in the drone sector

The drone boom is only just beginning, particularly in the mountains, where the device offers a number of uses: searching for avalanche victims, maintenance and technical inspection, preventing unnecessary risks, 3D mapping, thermography of infrastructure, snow conditions, etc. Val Thorens and Serre Chevalier have already started using the tool and have called upon Patrolair to assist them. The Aix-en-Provence start-up is, first and foremost, a training body for professional, remote drone pilots. “We specialise in training drone pilots in using the device for specific missions”, explains Antoine Fleischmann, General Manager of Patrolair. Because a poorly operated drone can quickly become dangerous. To complete its service offering, Patrolair has just launched UAV Suite, a tool which leverages artificial intelligence to monitor operations and improve the efficiency and safety of missions. It is a collaborative data base which provides feedback for users. A world first. “This tool already existed in aeronautics, but not in the drone sector. This first version is calling out for enrichment”. And this will take place gradually at the R&D hub created by Patrolair.

UAV Suite gives traceability of the behaviour of pilots and their drones, to draw lessons shared.

PATROLAIR

FOCUS: SOLID HYDROGEN, WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?

In 2008, the Grenoble company, McPhy developed a world first with the storage of solid hydrogen in the form of metal hydrides. The basic procedure involved absorbing hydrogen with magnesium. Crushed into a fine powder, magnesium offers a large contact surface with hydrogen. Adding additives then helps to speed up the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation process of the magnesium. According to the environment’s temperature and pressure, the hydrogen atoms are ‘absorbed or ‘desorbed’. The hydrogen thus captured is stored in the form of magnesium hydride tablets and can be used on demand thanks to a tool which converts hydrogen into electricity. Storage is entirely reversible and almost all the hydrogen energy stored is recovered at the end of the process. Other metal hydrides can be used for specific applications, such as onboard storage for transport.

USING FLOATING SOLAR PANELS IN THE MOUNTAINS

Savoie start-up, HéliosLite is working towards integrating floating solar panels in the extreme mountain environment thanks to solar trackers on hillside catchment reservoirs and high-altitude dams. The experimental HéliosLite/Société des 3 Vallées project to deploy a floating plant with a capacity of 245kWc on the hillside catchment reservoirs of Ariondaz in Courchevel, 2,000 metres above sea level, to feed into the private electrical distribution system is currently under way. The challenge is currently to clear snow from the floating structures to maintain solar panel production despite the snow and the freeze-over of the reservoir. A technical solution currently being trialled is about to be adopted: 90 modules on 9 floaters with two sides facing east/west and equipped with a watering system on the edge. So far, photovoltaic generation is meeting objectives, and snow clearing perfectly meets expectations. The solution may be rolled out this summer on the floating plant in the Ariondaz hillside reservoir.

HYDROGEN IN THE MOUNTAINS: WHAT’S NEW?

AMETHyST: Hydrogen to decarbonise the Alpine tourism sector

Co-run in France by the Tenerrdis competitivity centre and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Energy Environment Agency, with support from the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region and the European Commission, the European Interreg AMETHyST* project hopes to decarbonise the Alpine tourism sector through the hydrogen energy carrier. The idea is to share experiences and to collate best practices around hydrogen in order to offer concrete solutions to local authorities. “AMETHyST aims to support and assess the deployment of hydrogen solutions to decarbonise tourism activities, which are vital to the Alpine area. Using a knowledge-sharing approach, it hopes to steer public authorities into integrating hydrogen as part of their energy and climate planning tools”, explains Hervé Muguerra, Head of European Projects at Tenerrdis. AMETHyST key figures: a budget of 1.95 million Euros for 36 months and a consortium of 10 partners from 6 countries in the Alpine region (France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Slovenia).

AMETHyST = A MultipurposE and Tran sectorial Hydrogen Support for decarbonized Alpine Territories

When snow guns draw inspiration from heat pumps

Small Savoie business, WeSnow, has developed snow guns which use less water and which work based on the heat pump principle, by transforming the air being discharged.

“Thanks to a valve system, we can recover energy. We inject it into plate heat exchangers to make a hot water loop”, explains Didier Speck, Associate Director at WeSnow. The water loop can then be used to heat buildings and offices, swimming pools, cable car stations and snow groomer hangars. The technology delivers twice as much energy as it uses to produce snow.

DATA AND DATA SHARING

Every year, the resort of Orres (Hautes-Alpes) plays host to the Ocova forum, which brings together technological, institutional and financial players around digital technology and energy for building the mountains of the future. The 19th edition, held on 9 January this year, was devoted to the contribution digital technologies make to the ecological and economic transitions in the mountains. “The aim is for mountain areas to benefit from innovations that are usually found in big conurbations. The issues are not the same in the mountains, which are more sparsely populated. More appropriate solutions must be implemented, such as the LoRa networks, with a long range and low energy consumption”, explains Pierre Vollaire, Orres Mayor and organiser of the forum. The internet of objects and artificial intelligence are a central aspect of the event and cutting-edge innovations are showcased. But the organisers start from the premise that technology alone is of no use, that data must be shared and that cross-functional players must collaborate and take action throughout the entire area and not just in one resort, in order to obtain tangible results. The forum helps players to form networks and results in a myriad of projects.

40%

CHRYSALIS: ENERGY RECOVERY OF PLASTIC WASTE

Transforming plastic waste into fuel is the mission of Chrysalis, a machine stemming from sponsorship by Antargaz to benefit the Earthwake association. How does it work? Pyrolysis, a combustion system without oxygen and at a very high temperature, helps to break polymer molecules and turn plastic back into its liquid petroleum form. With 40 kg of plastic waste heated to 450° C, Chrysalis can produce up to 40 L of fuel. Milk bottles, household cleaning products, plastic caps, drinking bottles, bin bags, plastic food containers – the majority of polyethylene and polypropylene plastic can be recovered in this way, sorted, crushed and pyrolyzed. This innovative solution for the energy recovery of plastic waste, is a prime example of an efficient circular economic model.

The percentage of irrigation water saved by Menton, by crosschecking various sources of data from sensors, monitoring valves and weather forecasts, to make an accurate calculation of water needs sector by sector. This decision-making solution is based on data deployed by EGM. The Nice company is also working to provide access for Var fire fighters to DFCI trails (trails for defending forests from fire). “The trails cross through private properties which are often gated. We are working on a way of opening them without entering a code, by means of a satellite link”, explains Gilles Orazi, R&D engineer at EGM. Another practical example comes from the Pyrénées-Orientales Department, which wanted to obtain statistical data about carpooling car parks. “We have installed cameras to monitor and calculate time spent in the car parks. We have coupled them with a technical data base of registration numbers to find out what kind of vehicles stay, which are used for carpooling and to know the amount of CO2 emissions avoided”.

L’art du damage, une “science” ô combien efficace pour maintenir le manteau en toutes circonstances neigeuses.

The financial saving made by Montgenèvre on its gas bill at the Durancia balneotherapy centre and spa. The saving was diminished by the increase in energy prices. In the framework of the European Leader programme, the Hautes-Alpes resort called on the Territoire d’Énergie 05 energy association to conduct an energy assessment in three energy intensive buildings, before devising an action plan to reduce their consumption. The programme has already been implemented at Durancia and the results are more than promising. The energy association has introduced a series of measures to accurately manage the production of heating and hot water for sanitary use, air handling units and regulating valves for swimming pool temperatures. Consequently, the centre cut its gas consumption by 26% during the winter season 2021/2022 and by 39% this summer.

ACCELERATED SOBRIETY

Resorts are on the front line when it comes to spikes in energy prices. With very contrasting situations according to electricity contract due dates. “At the start of 2022, some obtained prices –which were already reasonably high – of 350€ per MWh. But the situation was alarming between June and December with 800€ per MWh on average, sometimes rising as high as 1,000€!”, exclaims Anne Marty, Vice-President of the Ski Areas of France and General Manager of Altiservice. The situation was still beset by subdued activity during the Christmas holidays. Even if they managed to achieve a decent winter season, some resorts may still end up with negative operating results.

Beyond purely economic reasons, the resorts have been working for several years to reduce their environmental footprints and inflation has certainly accelerated the process. Altiservice, which runs Saint-Lary and Font-Romeu Pyrénées 2000 resorts, has introduced three key measures, two of which concern ski lifts. “During periods of reduced activity, we shut down duplicate lifts”, explains Anne Marty. This way, operators also regulate the speed of the lifts depending on queues. “By reducing the speed by one metre per second, we make a 20% saving in electricity consumption, without clients even realising”. The third involves optimising packing, by accurately measuring the thickness of snow cover thanks to an on-board GPS. “The benefits are twofold: we save diesel because the snow groomers never go over the same section twice and electricity and water, by only producing the required amount of artificial snow”. This finer and more rigorous management then translates into the multiplication of sub-metres to read the consumption of every machine, to regulate the temperature and check the settings of radiators at the end of the day by area managers. Don’t they say that little streams make mighty rivers?

HE SAID

« La technologie ce n’est “Technology is not everything, but it is indispensable. If we want to move towards the ecological transition, we need knowledge and we must therefore gather field data using a series of systems. This must then be organised to extract information, before we are able to control and improve situations. But technology alone is of no use. Stakeholders must share data”.

Yann Bidault, Ocova Project Leader

Durancia cut its gas consumption by 26% during the winter season 2021/2022 and by 39% this summer.

MFS

Anne Marty, Vice-President of the Ski Areas of France and General Manager of Altiservice.

SMART TERRITORY

The internet of objects and artificial intelligence can streamline day-to-day management by local authorities, by delivering efficiencies in operations, energy consumption, costs and finally, assist their ecological transition. The Serre-Ponçon federation of municipalities in the HautesAlpes, has embarked on a smart territory project with help from digital services company Atos, to optimise energy, water, waste and mobility management. It is all based on data collection and sharing between relevant stakeholders.

Four workshops resulted in the first 25 practical examples being established, according to expressed needs and available data. Solutions were then sought – in terms of mobility, for example. Driving conditions and access to the resorts remain sensitive subjects during high season for this tourism region. Providing better information for users about the state of the network and encouraging them to take the right decisions are therefore of great importance. “Solutions which use surveillance cameras to provide information about occupancy rates in car parks or road traffic exist. We can also use Bluetooth connections to know about numbers of users in different areas and extract other information such as parking times and types of vehicle present. We can then implement predictive applications about driving and parking”, explains Léa Duran, Data Scientist at Atos.

What remains is to gather as much data as possible and to seek financing.

HE SAID

“The European Smart Altitude programme has helped to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in 20 European resorts. To go faster and further, resorts must be considered more broadly, as areas linked to the Region, in domains including energy, water and mobility, to achieve short-term carbon neutrality objectives”.

Pierre Vollaire, Orres Mayor and organiser of the Ocova forum

The CCSP intends to deploy solutions to inform road users about traffic in real time.

MOUNTAIN INNOVATIONS: CURRENT AND UPCOMING INNOVATIONS

Renovation of buildings in the mountains, a very important part of transition actions!

50%

The percentage of properties considered to be energy sieves (classed F or G) in French ski resorts, with a French national average of close to 17%. Heero, a fintech specialised in energy renovation, studied the energy performance of 70 resorts. The most energy intensive properties are found in the Alps and the Pyrenees. On the contrary, the most virtuous resorts are found in the Vosges, the Jura and the Massif Central. The reason being altitude, climatic factors, the age of the construction (many were built before the oil crisis), materials used, etc.

While the energy classification only currently impacts the long-term rental stock, furnished tourism rentals could also be targeted. “French Housing Minister, Olivier Klein, pointed out that furnished holiday rentals will also be affected, with a very negative impact for ski resorts, which may see their rental stock decrease on average by half by 2028 – in just 5 years! For some of them, it will be physically impossible to renovate all of the properties concerned within this short timeframe”, laments Romain Villain, General Manager of Heero.

The challenges are environmental of course, but also economical: poorly classified properties risk seeing their value decrease on the resale market. But renovation work comes at a hefty price and can prove difficult due to altitude or the size of the property, and does not only depend on a single owner, but rather the entire co-ownership, who must decide what work to carry out. Some municipalities have already begun to address the issue and grants now exist.

THE 5 RESORTS WITH THE MOST ENERGY INTENSIVE ACCOMMODATION

1. Isola 2000 (Mercantour Massif): 90% thermal sieves in the housing stock

2. Piau Engaly (Hautes Pyrénées, Aure Valley): 86%

3. La Pierre Saint-Martin (Pyrénées Atlantiques, Pierre Saint-Martin Massif): 79%

4. Puy-Saint-Vincent (Ecrins Massif): 76%

5. Barèges (Hautes Pyrénées, Val de la Batsus): 74%

THE 5 RESORTS WITH THE LEAST ENERGY INTENSIVE ACCOMMODATION

1. Espace Alpin Bellefontaine (Jura Massif): 15% thermal sieves in the housing stock

2. Le Markestein (Vosges Massif): 18%

3. Le Champ du Feu (Vosges Massif): 20%

4. La Combe Saint-Pierre (Jura Massif): 21%

5. La Mongie (Hautes Pyrenees): 26%

Source Heero

A POOL HEATED BY A DATA CENTER

Chamrousse is considering using calories which are usually lost, to heat energy intensive facilities. To diversify its tourism offer, the resort in Isère intends to create a leisure hub, including a pool complex, a wellness centre, a bowling alley and sports and leisure activities. The cost of the project will be approximately 20 million Euros.

To cut costs and the environmental footprint of the facilities, the town intends to create a data centre nearby, whose unavoidable heat (or lost heat) could cover half of the needs of the leisure hub. The programme is virtuous on two fronts, as the installation of a data storage and processing centre in the mountains helps to naturally cool the building and reduce its energy consumption.

WIND TURBINES ATTACHED TO SKI LIFT CABLES

BergWind specialises in finding and using new spaces in which to produce renewable energy. The Austrian start-up is working to develop wind turbines which are attached to the cables of ski lifts out of season. The energy produced can be used internally or reinjected into the grid. There are multiple advantages. The turbines require no floor space nor colossal means to install them; they can be easily integrated into existing infrastructure, in the place of cabins and seats. They can also help to improve the profitability of ski lifts, which are subject to energy price hikes and which are unused for part of the year.

The Austrian start-up is working to develop wind turbines attached to the cables of ski lifts off-season.

BESPOKE SOLAR PANELS SOON TO BE MADE IN FRANCE

Sunwind Energy has revolutionised the world of solar panels by designing eV+, semi-rigid solar panels, which are modulable in both size and shape, 100% integrable on supports such as ski lift stations, cable cars and conveyor belts. The product is particularly well suited to the mountain environment and guarantees excellent yield, thanks to its microcrystalline cells. With the support of Ines, CEA and with a financial boost from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, the company has given itself 2-3 years to manufacture its own panels from A to Z, at its Villard-Bonnot facility. “We want a product with efficient, recyclable and bio-sourced cells, using European products. Scandinavia could supply the silicon, France could provide recyclable or recycled polymer and it could be assembled in France”, points out Xavier Duport, manager of Sunwind Energy. The company will not produce classic frame solar panels but will stick to its niche, offering new technologies and new shapes: a lightweight panel which is completely integrated into façades or roofing, by removing the aluminium and glass. The company hopes to become the producer of bespoke solar panels.

Its prototype, financed thanks to an initial subsidy of 100,000€, and tested in the lab at Ines, should be validated in September 2023.

For Xavier Duport, all the lights are on green, with a government eager to accelerate the development of renewable energy and Europe which hopes to bring solar engineering to its shores. Into the bargain are the financial means to regain control of sourcing, while designing high yield cells. While China produces more than 80% of cells worldwide, France’s key strength is its R&D, “since the solar panel boom at the start of the 2000s”. Just one example among many, CEAInes’ heterojunction cells offer a record yield of almost 25%.

Ski lift constructor, Poma is incorporating into its production chain solar panels developed by Sunwind Energy, which has given itself 2-3 years to manufacture its own panels from A to Z, at its Villard-Bonnot facility.

By Véronique Pilon

PARIS 2024

WHAT CONCRETE ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN TO LIMIT THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT OF THE PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES? AN OVERVIEW OF COMMITMENTS MADE.

SPECIFIC REDUCTION INITIATIVES

Games Operations

- 100% renewable electricity for the Games

- Sustainable catering service to provide 15 million meals during the event

- Responsible digital technology

- Zero waste undertaking and zero waste objective

Construction

- 95% temporary or existing sites

- Low carbon permanent constructions

- Sober temporary constructions

Transport

- A specific mobility service for the Olympic family

- 100% of sites accessible by public transport or active mobility

A neutral or negative carbon footprint

- 55% of greenhouse gas emissions compared with London 2012 and the goal of being the 1st global event to make a positive contribution to the climate

- Paris 2024 aims to offset its CO2 emissions through CO2 prevention and capture schemes for unavoidable emissions. Apart from the ARO method (Avoid, Reduce, Offset), the organising committee is going further by adding two stages:

- Anticipating the carbon footprint using an estimation tool

- Avoiding emissions thanks to the use of existing infrastructure

Mobilising Olympic stakeholders

- A new ‘Climate Coach’ app to help people understand and reduce their environmental impact

- A responsible purchasing strategy which urges partners and suppliers to implement sustainability criteria

Coordination with climate experts

- An Ecological Transformation Committee for the Games composed of a total of 9 experts and presided by Gilles Bœuf, a biodiversity expert and Professor at the Sorbonne

- Collaboration with WWF France to develop the strategy

- Participation in the ‘Sports for Climate Action’ initiative of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change

AMERSFOORT

WILLIAM87

HOW VAL D’AOSTA IS BOOSTING R&D

The autonomous Italian region of Val d’Aosta, with financial support from Europe (Feder), has decided to boost mountain innovation by rolling out the Smart Valley programme. It is coordinating eight R&D projects, helping project managers to seek funding, with communication or skills development and fostering the exchange of knowledge and technologies between beneficiaries and regional research centres. “Usually, everyone manages their own project individually. Smart Valley has found a new way of collaborating and is fostering emulation which leads to more projects and ideas”, explains Roberta Davisod, consultant at FI group, which specialises in public financing strategy consulting for R&D. Quintetto is one of the eight lucky elected representatives. The small company, specialising in R&D since 2005, is developing the Qroom + project. Up to four people can communicate at the same time remotely by hologram and can exchange documents.

In the museum sector meanwhile, the 3D Lab by Turin Polytechnic is working on a Media project – a mobile app that serves as a guide. It is a web platform for cultural operators, including the Archaeological Museum of Herculaneum, and incorporates 3D, virtual and augmented reality and explores the emotions felt by visitors as they discover the collections. It offers a 3.0 immersive visit, with enriched content, for both in-person and remote tours.

In terms of tourism, Kria has come up with Montur to gauge flows, the characteristics and habits of visitors to Val d’Aosta, by using cameras and sensors already installed in the region, as well as artificial intelligence.

Smart Valley is also financing the company CCS to formulate a new microbial bio-stimulant to help hay meadows in Val d’Aosta, using fungus and bacteria. The aims are to boost yield, obtain greater nutritional qualities for animal feed and additional CO2 storage in microaggregates.

C.B

A renovated and wonderfully authentic traditional chalet in Chamois village.

NEOM, ANOTHER LAS VEGAS IN ANOTHER DESERT…

Olympic sports, winter sports, digital sports and even meta sports all on one site. Is this utopia or just a futuristic fantasy? Whatever it is, it’s a promise... and already a work in progress in Trojena, the mountain setting for the Neom project in the heart of the Saudi Arabian desert!

Crazy as it may sound, the 2029 Asian Winter Games will be held in Trojena, a futuristic city that does not yet exist but is part of a titanic urban planning project called Neom (a megalopolis 250 times the size of Paris).

Located about 70 kilometres north of The Line, between the Hijaz Mountains in the Saudi Arabian desert, Trojena is set to become nothing short of an El Dorado of leisure, adventure, and culture in the region.

The future tourist area spanning around 60 kilometres squared is expected to be set at between 1,500 and 2,600 metres of elevation. The site will include a huge artificial freshwater lake, a next-gen cave village called “The Vault” in the shape of an upside-down V, luxury residences with 3,600 hotel rooms and 2,200 homes on the lakefront, a ski resort slightly outside the city, and an observatory for taking in the breathtaking views of the mountains and the Saudi desert.

The architectural teams behind this huge project hope that Trojena will become a popular destination for international tourists in search of adventure and luxury.

Patrick Bayeux, a global sports observer, consultant, teacher, researcher, and doctor of management sciences, compares the Neom project and its three sites (Oxagon, The Line and Trojena) to Las Vegas. There was nothing a century ago where the U.S. city now stands, and today it has 650,000 inhabitants and welcomes an average of 40 million tourists every year. It is safe to assume that Neom and Trojena have similar prospects in terms of tourists and locals alike...

Closer to home, in France, Patrick Bayeux extends the comparison to the coasts of the Roussillon region. There was nothing there before the rise of seaside resorts such as Port-Camargue in Grau-du-Roi, Grande-Motte, Cap d’Agde, Gruissan, Port Leucate, Port Barcares and Saint Cyprien. Comparisons do not always hold up, but in this case, we should put any controversies into perspective and perhaps put our own house in order before overly criticizing…

The wild gamble of a futuristic city hosting an open-air ski resort in the middle of the desert!

MOUNTAIN BIKE ENDURO AT THE SUMMIT

In France and abroad, we know the potential bikes have in all of their forms for developing summer tourism. The success of ‘Enduro’, which is now part of the UCI programmes, owes nothing to chance. Benjamín Plasencia Sidauy, commercial director of Epic Enduro Series, which organises Mountain Bike Enduro events, explains the main reasons:

A well-designed track

Approximately 35 km with 1,500 metres of vertical gain and 5 specials (9 km of downhills), the circuit designed by Epic Enduro Series can be used by a wide range of sports persons. The approximative duration is 5 hours from start to finish and only the special stages (downhill of more than 20 minutes) are timed.

Sports people of all ages

The Epic Enduro Series is aimed at a broad target – children, youths and adults – of a relatively high socio-economic level.

Long-term tourism outreach

In Mexico, where Epic Enduro Series has developed tracks entirely devoted to Enduro, such as in Taxco de Alarcón, Guerrero and Oaxaca, attendance rates are very high. Events organised regularly help to breathe life into these areas, promote them and generate economic advantages for local socio-economic players.

Facilitated access

Among mountain biking disciplines, Enduro is the one which has witnessed the greatest growth in recent years, due to the pleasure it brings for a relatively small amount of required effort, particularly thanks to the development of electricallyassisted bikes.

A dynamic economy

Enduro is the most profitable segment for the cycling industry, due to the high consumption of spare parts. For equipped sites, the economic perspectives are also promising. “We are operating in a very robust market, explains Benjamín Plasencia Sidauy, the purchasing power of participants at our events is very high. They constantly travel overseas; which is why we believe that our events could also promote French destinations”. A word to the wise!

Result

The segment witnessed annual growth of 300% last year!

The last event organised by Epic Enduro near Mexico City last February.

PINO MORENO

16-18 APRIL 2024

THE MAJOR INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN INDUSTRY EVENT

Since 1974, Grenoble event park has organised and hosted biannually the largest international gathering of mountain professionals. The diversity, representativity and quality of these exhibitors make this trade fair a unique world hub, a place of business and exchange and a prominent foresight platform. Mountain Planet 2024 will mark the 50th anniversary of this international professional event. The fair will enable French and international ecosystems to come together to address future issues relating to mountain development and to revive mountain industries. In 2024, Mountain Planet will be back with some surprises:

- A start-up village

- The latest sector innovations

- A new and more environmentally-friendly website

- Solutions to sustainable development challenges

ALPEXPO SHAREHOLDERS

MEMBERS OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS

ANEM – DOMAINES SKIABLES DE FRANCE – ALPEXPO MEMBERS

AFMONT – ANMSM – CCI DE GRENOBLE – CCI DE SAVOIE – CLUSTER MONTAGNE – RÉGION AUVERGNE – RHÔNE-ALPES – DOPPELMAYR – KASSBOHRER –LEITNER – MND – MONTAGNE LEADERS – POMA – TECHNOALPIN - FRENCH TECH IN THE

ALPS