Environment

Connection of all technical facilities to the public electrical network
A milestone has already been reached in this direction thanks to the quick implementation of this project created by the preceding company.

 Supply of the mountain station Hunerkogel from the public electrical network at Steweag since 27 October 2003, resulting in:

 The elimination of some 90,000 litres of diesel consumption annually
Thanks to the elimination of the diesel generators for supplying power to the Hunerkogel mountain station buildings

 Conversion of the mountain station heating
The heating was converted from diesel to electrical heating in November 2003. The result:

 An annual reduction of the diesel consumption by an additional 30,000 litres

These projects were both realised in the first year after the acquisition and thus reduced fuel consumption by 120,000 litres, correspondingly precisely to half of the total annual consumption.

 Conversion of the cable cars to electric drive
Conversion of the cable cars to electric drives in the spring of 2004, resulting in:

 An annual reduction of the diesel consumption by an additional 46,000 litres

 Completion of the high voltage section from mountain station Hunerkogel to the valley station Schladmingerlift in summer 2004
This allowed the drives of the sled lift systems Schladmingerlift I and II as well as the Mitterstein chair lift to be converted to electrical drives.
The result:

 An annual reduction of the diesel consumption by an additional 33,000 litres

 No more expensive handling of diesel in high-alpine regions
Alongside the known environmental pollution caused by diesel generators, the handling of diesel fuel in this highly sensitive region must also be taken into consideration:

Ø  All fuel is pumped from the tank truck to an interim tank in the valley station.

Ø  From there, the diesel is pumped into a tank below the cable car cabins and transported to the mountain station outside of operating hours.

Ø  The fuel is pumped into the mountain station tank from the tank below the cabins.

Ø  This tank directly provides the fuel for the buildings, the cable railway and the heating.

Ø  The fuel is pumped into an additional interim tank in the piste groomer garage for fuelling the piste groomers and the sled lifts Schladmingerlift I and II and the chair lift Mitterstein.

Ø  The piste groomers are supplied with an annual load of ca. 48,000 litres from this interim tank.

Ø  The diesel is pumped into a transport container and transported to the valley station of the Schladmingerlifts with a piste groomer to reach the interim tank where it will finally be consumed to operate the Schladmingerlifts and Mitterstein chair lift.

 Diesel consumption will cease entirely in the fall of 2004 except for fuelling the piste groomers and, of reduced significance, for emergency power generators.

 Waste Problems
The intense melting of the glacier in the summer of 2003 released remnants of construction sites as well as waste of all natures that had collected within the glacier over the years.
No decay takes place due to the conservation of the glacial ice, so that waste such as banana peels must be removed just like packaging paper and similar materials.

 Our employees collected and removed the content of 80 garbage bags in multiple shifts.

 Deployment of the Austrian Armed Forces to dispose of Austrian Armed Forces material, removal of 57 helicopter loads
When constructing the radar station on Koppenkarstein, the Austrian Armed Forces constructed a wooden system between the mountain station of the material cable railway and the cable railway at Koppenkarstein in order to transport the construction material more effectively.
This system has been destroyed over the years by the weight of the snow and the remains have been left on the glacier.

On the initiative of the responsible parties at the Austrian Armed Forces, a team of ca. 20 members of the Austrian Armed Forces collected the material over multiple shifts and disposed of 57 helicopter loads in the valley.

 Reduction and replacement of piste groomers
5 piste groomers are currently being used on Dachstein. Organisational measures have been taken to reduce this number to 3 groomers with increased efficiency and the older groomers will be decommissioned.
The result:

 The reduction of diesel consumption on the environmental risks posed by the operation of older groomers.

 Strengthening the environmental consciousness of our employees
All of these measures initiated by our company have contributed to an increased environmental consciousness in the core Dachstein team, which support the careful dealing with nature in the thoughts and actions of all of our employees.

 Awareness of our guests
Ongoing efforts to make our guests, especially athletes, aware of environmentally friendly actions -

-          Observing and enjoying nature

-          Leave no trace behind

and keeping trash in the high-alpine region to a minimum.