Skip to content
Subscriber Only
Green
Energy & Science

French Ski Stations Turn to Hydrogen in Drive for CO2-Free Snow

An electric snow groomer manufactured by Kaessbohrer Gelaendefahrzeug AG, one of three main suppliers of slope-preparation machines in Europe.

An electric snow groomer manufactured by Kaessbohrer Gelaendefahrzeug AG, one of three main suppliers of slope-preparation machines in Europe.

Source: Kaessbohrer Gelaendefahrzeug AG

France’s 250 ski resorts will switch to hydrogen-powered snow-grooming machinery as they seek to make good on a pledge to cut direct CO2 emissions to zero by 2037.

Diesel-fueled slope-preparation machinery produces 94% of the carbon emitted by French ski stations, with the running of lifts and snow-making equipment accounting for the rest, Alexandre Maulin, the head of industry group Domaines Skiables de France, said at a press conference on Friday.