The CopenHill-Xperience

It is just one week after the opening of the only ski slope on the roof of a waste incineration plant!

I am standing there now, with wobbly knees, on two slippery boards, commonly known as skis. I am looking anxiously into the abyss and repeatedly ask myself what actually drove me to undertake this daring endeavor!

“Oh well, what the heck,” I think and push off.

In a split second, the skis take off with me as a passenger. Fast! Time for the first turn. I lean into the curve. Nothing happens.

Panic!

The skis are not reacting as I would have expected, instead they continue their journey into the unknown with increasing speed. The first left turn of CopenHill is racing towards me. Behind it: Gaping emptiness! Once again I try to take a curve, this time with much more momentum and conviction. Finally I feel that something is happening; I slip a little to the side, finally slowing down! Next curve, this time with even more momentum. The skis are slightly off, but ultimately they obey my command – even if stubbornly like two donkeys! Somehow, after what feels like an eternity (which probably barely lasted more than a minute), I manage to arrive safely in the “valley”. The photographer I organized especially for this undertaking is already waiting downstairs, hastily trying to capture my “art” in pictures. Relieved, I come to a halt and turn to my report. It includes words like “slippery as ice”, “slightly off”, “takes getting used to”. But somehow it was also fun. So, I unbuckle my skis and go back to the “ski-lift” to try another attempt ...

The “ski-lift” is an attraction in itself, since it leads right through the power plant. One wall is completely covered in glass, so that you can get a good view of the flue gas cleaning system while driving up to the roof. It gives you a good sense for the dimensions of the plant. People who do not like the “ski-lift” can also use the external staircase that runs along the edge of the ski slope, or can be pulled up (by ski) on a belt ski lift or a platter lift.

Whether by elevator, on foot, over the stairs or via the belt ski lift, the destination is always the roof of the facility and the visitor platform there. From here you have a perfect view of the entire city of Copenhagen on one side and across the Öresund all the way to Sweden on the other. Overall a very special event.

Facts about the CopenHill ski slope and the climbing wall: A special feature of the facility is the 450 m (1476 ft) long ski slope, the so-called CopenHill, on the roof of the facility. The highest point of the ski slope is 85 m (279 ft), which also features a viewing platform and a café. The ski slope was officially inaugurated on October 4, 2019. Another attraction is the climbing wall on the power plant side. At 85 m (279 ft) it is the highest climbing wall worldwide (source: www.copenhill.dk). The opening of the wall was planned for spring 2020, but has been delayed until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Facts about the plant: The waste incineration plant Amager Bakke was officially opened in 2017. The plant will use 400,000 metric tons of waste to supply district heating for approx. 160,000 households per year. Up to 2.7 MWh district heating and 0.8 MWh electricity can be generated per metric ton of waste. The district heating production is up to 247 MW; a steam turbine provides an electrical output of up to 63 MW. Around 850 pumps, 1,800 valves and 3,300 measurement stations are installed in the plant.

Facts about the INP project: Software and hardware planning and commissioning for the flue gas plant and the two waste incineration boilers. The software programming and operator screen generation was done at INP Germany in Römerberg. The required access to the T3000 Application Server at the plant is handled via a VPN remote connection