For the upcoming winter 2023/24, the Leoganger Bergbahnen has purchased the entire fuel requirement in the form of HVO100 renewable fuel. This means moving away from fossil fuels and towards a savings of up to 90 percent in CO2 emissions. As a result, the mountain railways are leading the way in terms of sustainability and conservation of resources.
First ski resort in Austria to reduce CO2 by up to 90 percent
Around 220,000 litres cover the entire fuel requirements of the Leoganger Bergbahnen. For piste equipment, the entire fleet including tractors. Having already been switched to the synthetic diesel fuel GTL this winter, the company is now completely switching to HVO100 Regenerative Fuel. With the use of HVO, which is produced from 100 percent renewable raw materials, the Leoganger Bergbahnen – the first ski resort in Austria – saves up to 90 percent CO2. In addition, the conversion does not involve any retrofitting of the vehicles and track equipment, only the tanks have to be completely emptied and cleaned at the service station.
“Leoganger Bergbahnen has been actively engaged in the topic of sustainability for over 15 years. In addition to energy production and energy efficiency, we are now able to convert our entire diesel-powered piste and fleet fleet fleet to the almost CO2 neutral HVO fuel from vegetable oils and vegetable waste from biomass with this new HVO fuel,” says Kornel Grundner, Managing Director of Leoganger Bergbahnen. “We move with our devices directly in nature and therefore it is of great importance to us to be able to travel sustainably here and to make an important contribution to climate protection.”
Salzburg Governor Dr. Wilfried Haslauer: “By switching from diesel to sustainable HVO fuel from vegetable oil, Leoganger Bergbahnen is leading by example in the energy transition. As of the upcoming winter season, this will save a large part of greenhouse gas emissions. With this measure, the cable car company also reinforces its exemplary role in the ambitious climate and energy strategy SALZBURG 2050.”
Since 2006, Leoganger Bergbahnen has been investing in projects for energy efficiency, sustainability and resource conservation, including participation in lighthouse projects such as “Clean Energy For Tourism” (CE4T) or as the first cable car partner for the initiative “Climate and Energy Strategy Salzburg 2050”. The Leoganger Bergbahnen was awarded the Salzburger Umweltblatt in 2017 as one of eight Salzburg companies that had collectively saved 1700 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Hydrogenated vegetable oil: This is HVO fuel
For many, HVO fuel is still a foreign word. But in the future we will hear about it more often. HVO stands for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil. For this type of fuel, in addition to vegetable oils, waste as well as oils and fats from residual materials, such as used cooking oil or deep-frying grease from kitchens and chip shops, are used. Only renewable, organic raw materials are used. The vegetable oil is purified and treated with hydrogen at a high temperature and thus made usable as fuel.
“We are pleased to be able to offer Leoganger Bergbahnen a sustainable opportunity to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their existing fleet. With HVO100 Regenerative from EnergieDirect, Leoganger Bergbahnen can tackle their ambitious climate goals,” says Hans-Peter Hintermayer, Managing Director EnergieDirect Austria GmbH.
