Project Information

HySnowGroomer

Establishment of a alpine green hydrogen economy

A project consortium commissioned by the Climate and Energy Fund at the HyWest research center of the Green Energy Center Europe in Innsbruck worked on the implementation of this project between 2019 and 2021 with the following objectives.

Development of a

Multifunctional Snow-Groomer

The main goal of the “HySnowGroomer” project is the development of a hydrogen snow groomer with an FCE (Fuel Cell Electric) powertrain and evaluation of the research results as well as the construction and operation of a prototype. The snow groomer fuelled with green hydrogen can potentially save up to 400 litres of diesel or approx. 1100 kg of CO2 per day. The green hydrogen is to be produced in the region using electrolysis from water and electricity from hydropower and photovoltaics, which can create significant – regional/local – value chains.

sImplementation of a

Green Regional Hydrogen Economy

Furthermore a mobile hydrogen refuelling station (mobileHRS) for multifunctional use in alpine region will be developed and constructed. The HRS should then also be suitable for use as an alpine emergency power supply and can cover the normal daily power requirements of around 100 households, which means that a year-round emergency power supply can be set up for remote areas and ski lifts and neighbourhoods can be supplied in crisis situations.

Building the

Bridge to a Clean Energy Future

There is no alternative to hydrogen when it comes to restructuring the energy system because it can be used as a transitional energy carrier in various forms. The HyWest research centre at the Green Energy Center Europe generates Austrian expertise for the development of a green regional hydrogen economy and thus for building the bridge to a CO2-free energy future.

HySnowGroomer Project Results:

Climate-neutral winter tourism

The “HySnowGroomer” project is an environmental compensation measure for ski resorts because it enables nature conservation through emission-free and low-noise snow management, CO2-free creation of snow depots in sensitive natural areas and the avoidance of further expansion of alpine diesel and urea depots. The “HySnowGroomer” research result is therefore an important milestone for the regional tourism and cable car industry on the way to climate neutrality with regional added value and sustainability and also a globally recognised trend-setting decision for the further development of climate-neutral hydrogen heavy-duty special applications including logistics in mobility.

FCE Drivetrain for zero-emission transportation

The evaluation of the research results for the hydrogen snow groomer has shown that the FCE drivetrain is not suitable for practical use in alpine winter terrain based on the current state of knowledge. As a result, the construction of the expensive prototype device has also proved to be impractical for the time being. The KLIEN research project was therefore completed with a project cost saving of around EUR 1.5 million and the further development of the green snow groomer with hydrogen reciprocating engine technology was initiated.

Pursuing the hydrogen reciprocating engine instead of the fuel cell for the propulsion of snow groomers is therefore an important decision for the development of hydrogen heavy-duty applications in mobility and the construction of a bridge to a green mobility future. This pioneering research result impressively demonstrates the efficiency of the “HySnowGroomer” consortium’s open-ended approach to research and the validity of the project evaluated in the research competition process.

Hydrogen refueling station (HRS) for alpine regions

Another component of the project was also research into the associated hydrogen logistics with the development and implementation of a mobile hydrogen refuelling station (mobileHRS), which is also pioneering for many applications in the hydrogen economy. The HRS is suitable for use as an alpine emergency power supply and can cover the normal daily power requirements of around 100 households, which means that a year-round emergency power supply can be set up for remote areas and ski lifts and neighbourhoods can be supplied in crisis situations. The result of this work was presented at a press conference at the Green Energy Center Europe in November 2021 and has already been successfully launched on the hydrogen technology market, which is currently being established, as part of the Green Energy Center Europe’s Codex partnership.