TechnoAlpin Beefs Up Ukraine's Bukovel Ski Area Snowmaking

Anyone who thinks of skiing in Ukraine must also think of the name Bukovel. With 24 ski lifts, almost 70 km of slopes, toboggan runs, ice rinks and other leisure facilities, the place is a real magnet for winter sports enthusiasts in the area. When it comes to guaranteed snow coverage, Bukovel also leaves nothing to chance and has been relying on the world market leader TechnoAlpin for its snowmaking system for decades.

In order to stay at the cutting edge of technical innovation, the area also invested in the modernization of its system in 2020. “Before we started the expansion work, we did some market research and compared the various quotes,” explained Alexander Shevchenko, manager at Bukovel. “Our detailed analysis only served to confirm that we were already working with the best partner and made the ideal choice in the past when we opted for TechnoAlpin.” 

The expansion work involved building a new PS500 pumping station in recent months, boasting an output of 400 l/s. The contract also included installing 13 fan-based snow producers of the latest generation and 35 snow lances and upgrading another 185 existing snow lances. The construction work proved to be particularly challenging due to the various conditions imposed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic (travel restrictions, quarantine periods, etc.). “We are therefore all the happier that everything went well in the end and that we were able to complete the work on schedule,” said a satisfied Shevchenko.

The new system was ready to be made operational at the end of November and was quick to demonstrate its efficiency. A capacity of 850 l/s has since been achieved in the area, making the Bukovel facility one of the most powerful TechnoAlpin systems in the world.

Bukovel is the largest ski resort in Eastern Europe situated in Ukraine, in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. A part of it is in state property. The resort is located almost on the ridge-lines of the Carpathian Mountains at elevation of 900 m (3,000 ft) above the sea level near the village of Polianytsia (Yaremche municipality) (about a half mile away). It is one of the most popular ski resorts in the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains and is situated 30 km (19 mi) southwest of the city of Yaremche. In 2012, Bukovel was named the fastest-growing ski resort in the world