Copenhagen Turned a Power Plant Into a Ski Hill

Most power plants are an eyesore for the cities that host them. Most cities hide their power plants behind tall fences on the outskirts. But the Danish city of Copenhagen took a completely different route to solving the issue of where to place its new waste-to-energy power plant. Instead of hiding their power plant, they turned it into an attraction for the locals.

CopenHill is a working power plant with an artificial ski slope on the roof.

Turning Garbage Into Heat

People produce a lot of garbage. Most of it is dumped into massive landfills. But CopenHill takes in tons of local garbage every day and burns it. The heat from burning the garbage boils water, creating steam that spins a turbine to generate electricity. The hot water is also piped directly into the city’s heating system. The trash you produce helps heat your apartment – your garbage is literally heating the city for you!

Hitting The Slopes In The City

Denmark is known for being an extremely flat country. People from Denmark have to travel abroad to enjoy the skiing slopes in other countries. However, the designers of CopenHill noticed the wedge shape of the power plant. They used that to design an artificial ski slope for the city dwellers.

The ski slope is made of a synthetic material that feels a lot like snow. People take a lift to the top of the hill, ski down, and enjoy views of the city. There is also a hiking trail on the site, lined with trees and grass. There is also a massive rock climbing wall built on the side of the power plant. Essentially, they built a mountain in the middle of a flat city!

The Reality Of Burning Trash

Burning garbage produces carbon dioxide and other gases that go into the atmosphere. While not the most environmentally friendly power plant, burning trash does have advantages over the past. First, there is a much lower release of methane gas into the atmosphere from landfills. Second, the smoke exiting the chimney passes through intense filters that remove most of the harmful chemicals.

Even with the downsides of using garbage as fuel for energy, the power plant is a huge improvement over the past. Furthermore, the plant is located right in the middle of the city and is a place people visit and enjoy. Heavy industry does not have to be an eyesore in the city skyline!