Rolls-Royce mtu gen sets support new Steamboat gondola lift

Installation of Wild Blue Gondola system at Steamboat (Photo: Smith Power Products)

Situated in northwestern Colorado, the Steamboat Ski Resort offers visitors a series of enticing features. Located within the Park Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Steamboat comprises six peaks – Mount Werner, Sunshine Peak, Storm Peak, Thunderhead Peak, Christie Peak and Mahogany Ridge – that offer about 3,600 acres of ski runs and trails for all ability levels.

To help visitors enjoy the stunning surroundings, last season Steamboat launched the Wild Blue Gondola, described as North America’s longest and fastest 10-person gondola. The lift can take skiers and riders to the top of Sunshine Peak – which summits at 10,384 feet, or 3,165 metres – in only 13 minutes.

Lift specifications

Designed by Austrian aerial lift manufacturer Doppelmayr, Wild Blue features the largest direct drive made for a gondola system in the world. The 68,000-pound (92,000 Nm) Doppelmayr Direct Drive electric motor powers Wild Blue’s 171 cabins that span 16,000 horizontal feet and 3,371 vertical feet.

Snowboarders at Steamboat get ready to board Wild Blue (Photo: Steamboat Ski Resort)

Steamboat’s existing gondola and lift systems had an out-of-base capacity for 6,000 people per hour. With the addition of Wild Blue, 10,000 people can now be transported per hour onto the mountain. The addition also helps with distribution of the skiers across the mountain, reducing congestion during busy times. Wild Blue is also adaptable; it can operate as one continuous ride or as two separate lifts, with the lower section operating independently if weather is too severe at the top of the mountain.

The direct drive powering the system has allowed for deletion of the traditional gearbox. This is significant, as gearbox failure is frequently the cause behind gondolas and chairlifts being out of action. Elimination of the gearbox avoids difficult repairs, while providing skiers and riders with a smooth, fast and efficient experience.

“Wild Blue has provided a huge jump in our out-of-base capacity on high visitation days,” said Corey Peterson, vice president of Mountain Operations, Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. ”Additionally, with our on-mountain learning center, Greenhorn Ranch, at the mid-station, Wild Blue allows for a seamless progression experience for our beginner and intermediate skiers and riders with the ability to access our most-loved intermediate terrain and the ability to download at the end of the day.”

Power support

It takes a significant power source to back up a behemoth like Wild Blue, particularly when taking the elevation where it operates into consideration. In planning backup power for the lift, the Doppelmayr engineering team worked with Smith Power Products, the Rolls-Royce sales and service partner for mtu solutions in the area. The solution was to use three mtu Series 2000 diesel gen sets as standby power for the gondola.

Wild Blue has almost doubled lift and gondola capacity at Steamboat (Photo: Steamboat Ski Resort)

Each of the mtu generators can deliver 2,800 horsepower. Standby mode capacity is 1010 kVA, while prime mode capacity is 800 kVA. To ensure Wild Blue is never without power, gondola operators can start up the generators within 60 seconds via the system’s manual transfer switch.

Even when adjusted for the reduced air density, the mtu units can provide enough output to power a fully-loaded gondola system. Despite the robust power profile, the gen sets are still highly efficient, returning one of the lowest fuel consumption levels in the industry and equivalent emissions.

“Smith Power Products was thrilled to be a part of the Wild Blue Gondola project in collaboration with Rolls-Royce, Doppelmayr and Steamboat Resorts,” said Darrell Caldwell, mtu Engineering Sales for Smith Power. “It was an exciting journey, watching the project come to completion and we’re looking forward to visiting each winter to see the new system in full operation.”

With a full season already under its belt, the Wild Blue Gondola stands ready to transport skiers and riders during the 2024/2025 season at Steamboat.

This article and related photos were supplied to Power Progress by Rolls-Royce.