Compagnie Des Alpes Orders 8 Pre Series CM Dupon Electric Groomers

Compagnie des Alpes set the goal of achieving Net Zero Carbon (NZC, Scopes 1&2) emissions by 2030. This ambition was reaffirmed on 28 June in the “10 Commitments and 5 Pledges” (https://engagements.compagniedesalpes.com/en/accueil-en/) announced to give a practical expression to its Corporate Mission, adopted in the preamble to its Articles of Association on 6 March 2023.

For several years, Compagnie des Alpes (CDA) has been fully committed to supporting the R&D of CM DUPON – a family-owned business from the French Alps and the only French manufacturer of snow groomers – aimed at launching several test projects geared towards developing a low-carbon snow groomer.

The company carried out two series of tests on prototypes during the winters of 2021/2022 (La Plagne) and 2022/2023 (Tignes), and performances in terms of operating time and consumption proved conclusive, with a proven operating time of 5½ to 6 hours under field conditions.

As these initial tests have made the transition to larger-scale production viable, the Group has decided to order eight pre-series electric snow groomers for operational use, including two during the 2023/2024 peak season and six over the winter of 2024-2025 for all of its ski areas, starting with Serre Chevalier (with strong support from the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regional authority for the machine’s development). The use of these machines requires only minor adjustments to groomer working conditions.

The new machines will be deployed under field operating conditions in the ski areas we operate.

The Group is considering a larger post-test order for these pre-series vehicles and is aiming to convert its entire existing fleet of 140 groomers to electric powertrains.

Key benefits: the machine developed by CM DUPON with the support of the CDA teams allows an average saving of 80 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year per groomer (i.e. 500 tonnes of CO2 equivalent over the life of a snow groomer including battery manufacture) and the elimination of hydraulic fluids. For the record, Compagnie des Alpes only uses fully decarbonised electricity.

After helping draft the specifications and participating in development tests, Compagnie des Alpes has placed an order for 10 4X4 vehicles converted to electric powertrains

In 2021, CDA’s subsidiaries in La Plagne (Société d’Aménagement de la Plagne – SAP) and Les Arcs (Les Arcs Domaines Skiables – ADS) began thinking about retrofitting their 4x4 pick-ups to run on electric power. These retrofits allow the frames to be reused, giving them a second life, without the need for new manufacturing linked to outright replacement.

Teams from the two ski areas and RETROFLEET, a company based in Savoie, have completed the work and tests required to approve a retrofit kit that will enable the diesel engines of certain 4x4 pick-ups to be converted to electric powertrains. This has now been achieved, as the first road vehicle of this type to be retrofitted has been approved in France. The hope is that it can now go into series production and be offered to operators nationwide.

Compagnie des Alpes is therefore announcing an order for 10 vehicles for which the retrofit kits will be produced and installed in Savoie.

With this initiative, and as RETROFLEET’s first customer for this type of vehicle, CDA is contributing to the emergence of a solution for the region that meets low carbon and circular economy challenges while helping to revitalise the local region.

CDA renews the use of HVO100 fuel for all its snow groomers, confirming the elimination of fossil fuels from all grooming work

Since last winter, all Group ski areas have switched all their thermal snow groomers from diesel to HVO. This massive initiative undertaken by the Group has led to an impressive and sustainable reduction in CO2 emissions.

Compagnie des Alpes will continue with this transition approach despite the additional cost of this fuel, which is taxed at the same rate as diesel of fossil origin, as its benefits in terms of combating global warming have now been proven. Here too, the aim is to offer a “second life” to cooking oils (which until now were thrown away), thereby avoiding agricultural use/production conflicts between “new” and “used” oils.

CO2 reductions actually achieved over the 2023 financial year will be announced at the 5 December Results Presentation, following an audit by our Statutory Auditor.

Key benefits: fully renewable and made from waste grease and used vegetable oil, but with no palm oil, HVO is compatible with the equipment of all of the Group’s partner manufacturers, reducing CO2 emissions by 90% and fine particles by 65%.

Dominique Thillaud, Chief Executive Officer of Compagnie des Alpes said “Compagnie des Alpes is taking practical steps to achieve its Net Zero Carbon (Scopes 1&2) targets without wasting any time. We are giving life to the “10 Commitments and 5 Pledges” announced last June by encouraging and supporting research and development for new solutions and, when their effectiveness has been fully demonstrated, stepping up their implementation so that they can be rolled out on a massive scale in the field. We are also keen to give priority to local stakeholders and help revive local industry in our host regions, promoting low-carbon solutions including the reduction of Scope 3 emissions. We are very pleased to have placed our trust in CM Dupon; the pugnacity and tenacity of this company and its chief executive have resulted in a world first: the development of a pre-series electric snow groomer that meets our expectations. In addition to enabling us to achieve our objectives, these initiatives are generating real collective benefits, in particular the opportunity to support a joint low-carbon bid by the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regions for the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

David Ponson, head of the Ski Areas and Outdoor Activities BU added “After all these years of collaboration with CM Dupon and sharing between this Isère-based company and expert teams from several of our ski areas, I am delighted that we can now move on to the pre-series phase. Indeed, all the trials conducted under field conditions allow us to “convert the try” today. Furthermore, this is also an opportunity to roll out solutions tailored to climate change, which require time and perseverance. We have here a tangible example of what can be achieved through foresight and teamwork.”

Sandra Picard, Director of Communications, Branding and CSR agrees “Barely a year after drafting our Corporate Mission, these successes in terms of low-carbon internal mobility prove that the Group has resolutely entered a phase of fulfilling its “10 Commitments and 5 Pledges”. The pace we have set for rollout bodes well for the future, as it is based on guidelines that enable us to trigger powerful momentum for accelerating change.”