Huge Snow System in a Winter Paradise – Møre Trafo Charges the Cannons

Three transformers from Møre Trafo supply power to the snow cannons, which this fall produced 48,700 cubic meters of snow per day.

“The facility has 11 runs, and under good conditions we can cover them with snow in eight to eleven days,” says Halvor Romme, Grid Manager at Stannum AS (formerly Tinn Energi Nett AS).

600–700 apartments

Three transformers from Møre Trafo rated at 2500 kVA each give a total capacity of 7.5 MVA. To put that in perspective, that is enough to cover the annual consumption of somewhere between 600 and 700 apartments.

“Even though it’s not possible to use full capacity today, the facility is still one of the largest in the country,” says the grid manager at Stannum AS.

83 snow cannons

After producing an incredible amount of snow across the entire resort since November 25, Gaustad Skisenter could open the season on December 4 with dream conditions on the slopes. The upgrade of the snowmaking system, which today consists of 83 snow cannons (74 lances and nine fan guns), is part of the plan to make the Gausta destination one of the country’s leading and best winter paradises for ski enthusiasts of all ages. 

Superb Quality and Capacity

“With the investments we’ve made now, the snow quality will be much better than before, and the huge capacity means we can open more slopes faster than before. We’ve thought about the future, both in terms of capacity and durability,” says Bjørn Tverberg, responsible at Gausta Skisenter, to the website Rjukan.

1950s

Snow production was developed in the 1950s, where water plus compressed air plus electricity produces artificial snow. Calm conditions, low humidity, and temperatures between five and twelve degrees below zero are the optimal weather conditions for snow production. With the upgraded snow system, Gausta Skisenter aims to keep the slopes open from November to May.

Going Big at Gausta

The Swedish investment company Vätterledens Invest AB (VIAB) is behind a major investment in the Gausta destination. In 2018, VIAB became the owner of Gaustablikk Høyfjellshotell and Gaustablikk Skisenter. Now they have acquired all of Gausta Skisenter. Owning all 13 lifts, 35 slopes and a first-class snowmaking facility is part of a long-term strategy to take Gausta to the top of Norwegian ski resorts. 

Big potential

The goal is to create Norway’s most exciting mountain destination, and VIAB CEO Mikael Jönsson says that when the coronavirus pandemic is over, they are well prepared to continue and develop Gausta’s great potential as a destination.

The Destination

Gausta is the common name for the Gausta destination in Tinn municipality in Telemark. Here you find one of Norway’s most beautiful and iconic mountains, Gaustatoppen, 1,883 meters above sea level, the Gaustabanen railway running inside the mountain, and the classic hotel Gaustablikk, now being renovated to shine for another 50 years. The ski resort sits at the foot of Gaustatoppen.

Møre Trafo contributes

Møre Trafo helps keep things running at the destination, including Gaustabanen and the hotel, with transformers that are the hidden heavy lifters in the power grid.

“I believe Møre Trafo has delivered roughly 20 transformers to the destination in recent years,” says Sales and Marketing Manager Ivar Lifjeld.