CairnGorm Mountain’s snow machine is to be moved uphill to make it more efficient- but not in time for the coming season.
The £1m Snowfactory machine was installed in March 2019 and was had technical issues to contend with early on.
Manufacturers TechnoAlpin had to address how best to filter water coming out of the machine, and how to ensure safe access for staff to carry out a range of maintenance tasks themselves.
The machine went on to create enough snow for the beginners’ slopes to be pisted and groomed for last season, starting on December 7 2019.
A spokesman for Highlands and Island Enterprise (HIE), owners of Cairngorm Mountain said: “We have lodged a planning application to retain the snow factory in its current location for one year.
“The longer term intention is to relocate the snow-making machine approximately 1,000ft uphill from its current location.
“This would make it more efficient and effective as it would be projecting snow downwards onto the slopes instead of upwards.”
The machine currently runs off its own generator which was converted from diesel but was converted to vegetable oil biofuel at the start of this year.
The longer term plan is to have it powered by electricity.
