Plastic instead of ice: Ice skating in Bavaria despite the energy crisis - and where you have to do without it
Created: 02/11/2022, 22:25
By: Katarina Amtmann
Plastic instead of ice - skating despite the energy crisis (symbol image).
© Julian Stratenschulte/dpa +++ dpa picture radio +++
The energy crisis is also having an impact on ice skating, because ice rinks use a lot of energy.
Some municipalities no longer want to afford this.
Erlangen - Energy costs are rising.
Despite the energy crisis, Nuremberg's old town will shine in Christmas splendor again this winter.
However, not to the usual extent.
There are also effects on the pleasure of ice skating.
Energy crisis and rising electricity costs: Municipalities rely on plastic ice rinks
While ice rinks remain completely closed in some municipalities, others rely on plastic.
In the 2022 Advent season, Erlangen invites you to ice skate on the market square again - on a 400 square meter plastic area.
A synthetic ice rink will also be set up in Regensburg in January.
In contrast to a conventional ice rink, no electricity is used for cooling and no water is used for the synthetic rink, according to the city management in Erlangen.
That's why we decided on this model in these special times.
The electricity for the lighting also comes entirely from renewable sources.
By the way: Our Nuremberg newsletter regularly informs you about all the important stories from Middle Franconia and the Franconian metropolis. Sign up here.
Energy crisis: skating on synthetic ice rinks in Regensburg and Nuremberg
In Regensburg, too, thanks to the new plastic ice rink in the old town from mid-January to mid-March, power consumption can be significantly reduced, as the city calculates.
"The originally planned natural ice rink would have consumed around 540 kWh per day for the cooling unit," said a spokeswoman.
Now only electricity for lighting and the loudspeaker system is consumed.
It is expected that 50 kilowatt hours (kWh) per day will be used.
The Nürnberger Post-Sportverein has had a little longer experience with skating on plastic.
Since 2020, ice sports fans have been able to do their laps there in winter on a 350 square meter synthetic ice rink.
In addition to lower maintenance costs, ecological aspects were particularly decisive: Compared to chilled ice, this saves around 10,000 liters of water per month - i.e. the average energy consumption of 200 households - and 4.75 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, explained spokesman Maximilian Oppel.
Energy crisis and inflation: what will the Christmas markets look like?
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Too expensive: Rosenheim flirted with a plastic ice rink
In Rosenheim, too, the city management had toyed with the idea of a temporary ice rink made of plastic this winter.
For logistical reasons, however, this had become too expensive.
Because: a place would have had to be converted for this, according to managing director Sabrina Obermoser.
Such an ice rink may be an option for next year's winter.
In Zirndorf, on the other hand, people will have to do without the conventional ice rink at Bibertbad this year.
A city spokeswoman announced that this was closed in the 2022/2023 season for energy reasons.
There were also discussions about the ice rink in Würzburg.
"That's off the table," said a spokeswoman for the Würzburg supply and transport GmbH.
As soon as it is cool enough outside, the ice rink will open.
(came/dpa)
In the event of a blackout, the municipalities in Bavaria are currently preparing emergency concepts. “Lighthouses” also play a role here.
