The common denominator of cucumber water and hydrogen in winter

When winter moves across the country, roads and paths are strewn with salt. We want to reach the slopes and hut fun as safely as possible. However, it is not only the owners of dogs and cats who are allowed to walk outside know that the salt litter is harmful to the environment. The aggressive salt shows up on paws, but it also pollutes waters and upsets the natural balance of fauna and flora.

The Bavarian State Building Administration has now started a pilot project and is replacing the salt with a gentler alternative: brine, which otherwise ends up as waste in the production of pickled cucumbers and previously had to be laboriously cleared after production. The treated salt water from the gherkin factory is now used as a more compatible salt substitute for streets and sidewalks. “The Bavarian State Ministry for Housing, Building and Transport expects that the regionally prefabricated brine will result in this winter 700 tons of salt and 4,9 million liters of water saved “, reports GEO. The brine comes from a regional pickle manufacturer, who in any case benefits from the cost savings for disposal.

An innovation for ski areas comes from South Tyrol. The manufacturer PRINOTH speaks of a “new era of slope preparation, which will also have a positive effect on the ecological balance of entire ski areas.” His new snow groomer with hydrogen fuel cell is a world premiere and is already in the active test phase. The drive combines a hydrogen fuel cell and an electric motor, so it works entirely without fossil fuels - and that without losing any power, according to the developers of the snowcat.

So cucumber water on the streets and hydrogen on the slopes could help to get through the winter more environmentally friendly - and this is where they find their common denominator.

Photo credit: PRINOTH