Around 1.2 Million Cubic Tons of Artificial Snow Produced for Beijing Winter Olympics 2022

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics is only a month away. Notably, athletes from around the globe will soon wrap up their preparations and head to China for the ultimate showdown. Hence, the organizers, too, are leaving no stone unturned, preparing for even the worst-case scenario.

This year’s Winter Olympics will see around 1.2 million tons of artificial snow produced for the Olympic Games. Previous games have seen people using artificial snow to create the conditions needed to host the competitions. Undoubtedly, this will be another major use of technological advancements in sports.

Beijing Winter Olympics pumps in the snow

The first time that people used snow to host a competition was back in 1980. The 2014 Sochi Olympics used 80% artificial snow, which later rose to 90% at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. However, this will be a competition that will have 100% artificial snow made for the Games.

The two snowboarding venues are Yanqing and Zhangjiakou. The company that has contracted the task is TechnoAlpin from Italy. There will be 170 fan-powered guns and 30 fanless stick lanes used at the Yanqing venue.

A nearby reservoir will be the direct resource hub for making snow. They spray water mist into the air, which then crystallizes into the snow with the chilly temperatures in China. A spokesperson named Michael Mayr talked about the entire process. He talked about not having proper snow and that natural snowfall cannot be relied upon.

“The Olympics cannot rely on that. So they have to be sure the snow is there when they start. Then we have the biathlon and nordic center [in Zhangjiakou], with 40 guns and 15 lances; the freestyle and snowboard venue [at the nearby Secret Garden resort] with 62 guns and 30 lances; and the big air venue [in downtown Beijing] with seven lances and no guns,” said Mayr.

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A sustainable approach?

Ships from Italy delivered the equipment back in 2019 as they did not want any delay. But, with around 49 million gallons of water, it raises different environmental concerns. During a time when Australia had wildfires and half of the Amazon forest burned away, the stress on ecosystems is at an all-time high. Hence, the IOC talked about different measures to curb these issues.

They use water conservation and other recycling materials to ensure that the ecosystem is well protected. This is a great approach, as sporting fans can look forward to a great Olympics. With a star-studded lineup heading to Beijing, who do you think will leave China with the most medals?

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