Powder power: Hokkaido ski resort tests snow-based sustainable energy

KUTCHAN, Hokkaido -- A sustainable energy experiment is underway on the white slopes of northern Japan's Niseko winter resort area, harnessing the power of snow itself.

The demonstration test is taking place at the Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu in the Hokkaido town of Kutchan. To get to the resort, visitors take a bus from JR Kutchan Station. Once there, the beautiful outline of the 1,898-meter-tall Mount Yotei stands imposingly in the background.

The resort's operator, Tokyo-based Tokyu Land Corp., started the experiment on its slopes in December 2023. The technology, which produces energy through the temperature difference between snow and biomass combustion, has been in development since May 2022 by Forte Co., a startup based in the city of Aomori, and the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo. It uses heat generated from the combustion of Hokkaido-produced wood chips and an antifreeze agent cooled by snow. Within the cylinders of the generator's engines, the force and heat from compressing helium and low-temperature antifreeze creates an expansive force that generates electricity through piston action of magnets in the coils.

So far, up to 1,200 watts of power have been successfully generated. If maintained at this level, the system will output enough power for about four standard 30-ampere, 250 monthly kilowatt-hour homes.

At a Jan. 18 unveiling to the press, Koji Enoki, associate professor at the University of Electro-Communications' School of Informatics and Engineering, switched on the generator to move a current through aluminum plates, melting snow piled above. The generated electricity is apparently being considered as a way to clear snow in parking lots and other locations.

Including Grand Hirafu, Tokyu Land has been switching to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to power equipment such as the ski lifts, gondolas and nighttime slope lighting at seven of its resorts across Japan. In total, the company says this will reduce yearly carbon emissions by about 8,000 metric tons, equivalent to around 4,000 typical homes.

Climate change is propelling the company to act. While Niseko's hills are world renowned for their fresh powder snow, in recent years climate change has led to worrisome changes in the amount of snowfall. Continued warming will make it harder to maintain the slopes' highly-rated powder. Additionally, they want to make the region attractive for environmentally-conscious visitors.

The experiment is set to end by the end of January. Practical implementation of the technology for snow removal on the resort's roads, parking lots and rooftops is the next step to be considered.

A Tokyu Land representative stated, "While the experiment's results remain to be seen, this is a strong signal for ski resorts to decarbonize and not use fossil fuels."

(Japanese original by Kohei Shinkai, Hokkaido News Bureau)