(Extract from “Niseko Alpine Review - March 09″ - to subscribe for your latest edition click here)

Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport will be cooled during summer using the cold water of melted snow. According to the Regional Cival Aviation Bureau, a mound of snow measuring 100 meters long, 200 meters wide, and 8 to 15 meters tall will be made on-site by collecting plowed snow and covering it with insulation for storage until the summer. The bureau plans to set up a system to utilize the snow for air conditioning, with the aim of starting operations from the spring of 2010.