Hesse: City of Marburg relies on an alternative to the classic ice rink

Marburg (dpa/lhe) - The central Hessian city of Marburg also wants to make ice skating possible in this energy crisis winter - but on artificial ice.

Hesse: City of Marburg relies on an alternative to the classic ice rink

Marburg (dpa/lhe) - The central Hessian city of Marburg also wants to make ice skating possible in this energy crisis winter - but on artificial ice. The synthetic alternative to the classic ice rink saves "huge amounts of electricity and water and therefore also a lot of costs," said Mayor Thomas Spies (SPD) on Wednesday, according to a statement. The new ice rink that has now been ordered consists of slabs with properties similar to ice. The city will spend around 243,000 euros for 900 square meters including accessories.

The train can theoretically be used all year round and requires neither cooling nor electricity. Only small amounts of water are needed for cleaning. According to the city, it had previously rented a classic ice rink for around 65,000 euros per winter season, plus electricity costs of more than 30,000 euros for around 94,000 kilowatt hours and water costs.