The crystal clear material will be stored to be used in various events and projects, but most of all, for next season’s ICEHOTEL and ICEBAR’s in Tokyo, London, Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Istanbul.
The ice harvest has started at ICEHOTEL. The winter has been unusually long and cold which has resulted in high quality ice that is ready to be harvested nearly two weeks earlier than usual.
– This season the ice has grown better and faster than any other season for the past six years, says Hans Abrahamsson, Team leader for the ice harvest.
Ice farming
The ice farm area just outside ICEHOTEL is 90 meters wide and 220 meters long and is maintained throughout the winter season. In November, Hans Abrahamsson starts to check the ice and measure its thickness. When the ice is 10 centimetres thick, it can carry a snowmobile and in mid-December, a tractor. Artur Torneus, tractor driver, can then start to clear away the snow from the area to assure its quality and thickness.
In the middle of, and in every corner, of the ice farm are datum points - check points for measuring the ice. During the season, Hans Abrahamsson checks the growing ice and when it has reached 70-80 centimetres, usually in mid-March, ice harvest can begin.
– The growth of the ice varies throughout the area but usually faster downstream, explains Hans Abrahamsson. That is where we start to harvest so that the thinner ice upstream can continue to grow.
The optimal weather conditions for the ice harvest are between zero and minus 10 degrees Celsius.
– A cloudy sky is also preferred since the sun can be quite merciless towards the ice, says Alf Kero, Production Manager.
The slow and unaffected freezing process is what gives the ice in Torne River its unique qualities; free from bubbles, cracks and pollutants. One hundred blocks will now be harvested every day, each weighing 2000 kilos. In total, approximately 5000 tonnes of ice will be harvested and stored.
During the 20 last seasons there has been several tonnes of ice harvested from the Torne River.
– Yet we borrow just a small part of the Torne River. 370 cubic metres of water passes Jukkasjärvi every second. That is equivalent to a new ICEHOTEL passing every other second, says Alf Kero.
For more information, please contact:
Camilla Bondareva
Press Officer
ICEHOTEL
camilla@icehotel.com
+46 980-668 40
+46 70 668 08 67
Alf Kero
Manager Ice Production
ICEHOTEL®
alf@icehotel.com
+46 70 669 96 41