DEMACLENKO: Contract Signing for the Snowmaking System at GORO Mountain Resort

The GORO Mountain Resort in western Ukraine has signed a contract with the international company DEMACLENKO for the construction of an automated technical snowmaking system. This will represent one of the central components of the resort's winter infrastructure. The system is designed to help ensure a consistently high slope quality, plan the season more effectively, and offer guests comfortable conditions even under the challenges of climate change. As a result, GORO will be able to provide snowmaking for all slopes in the first phase of development and guarantee a ski season of more than 100 days.

The investment in the snowmaking system amounts to 25 million euros and is part of the total 120 million euros allocated for the mountain infrastructure of GORO's first phase of development. This part of the project is being financed by the OKKO Group conglomerate using its own and external funds. The total cost of the resort's first construction phase is 470 million euros, of which 350 million euros are allocated to the hotel infrastructure, for whose development private investors are being involved.

"For us, it is crucial that GORO's mountain infrastructure is built according to international standards right from the start – with high energy efficiency, resource-saving operations, and maximum process automation. The partnership with DEMACLENKO allows us to introduce solutions and approaches that have already proven their effectiveness in leading international resorts," explained Volodymyr Harazd, CEO of GORO Mountain Resort.

The collaboration between the GORO and DEMACLENKO teams began back in 2018 during the development of the master plan. The project was individually tailored to the requirements of the mountain resort – taking into account climatic conditions, slope parameters, water sources, and ecological requirements. The final contract for the delivery of the equipment was signed in May 2026.

"The GORO Mountain Resort is one of the largest orders in the history of DEMACLENKO. We are very proud to contribute to the success of this promising project with our long-standing international experience. This allows us to fully leverage our strengths as an innovation leader in the industry and realize the most modern technical snowmaking system for a ski resort being built completely from scratch. We have developed a customized solution that combines highly efficient resource utilization with maximum operational reliability, thereby creating the foundation for a predictable, safe winter season with consistently high slope quality," said Andreas Lambacher.

For the first phase of the resort's development, which covers 13 km of ski runs, a snowmaking area of 50 hectares will be created. The implementation of the system will take place in two stages: the first 17 hectares are scheduled to be completed by 2026, and the remaining part by 2027. The contract includes the delivery and installation of more than 150 snow guns and over 180 connection points.

"We are deploying different types of snow generators for various sections of the slopes. Powerful Titan 5.0 fan snow guns will be used on wide slopes where larger areas need to be covered, while snow lances will be used on narrower slopes and in forested areas with lower wind impact. However, this is only the visible part of the snowmaking system – pump stations, water cooling systems, and pipeline networks will also be constructed," explained Andriy Dyomin.

The facilities will be integrated into the SnowVisual automated control system, which enables centralized management of all snowmaking processes and real-time monitoring of all systems. This digitalization is intended to help GORO use water and energy more efficiently, improve the quality of the snow cover, reduce resource consumption, and increase operational efficiency.

GORO Mountain Resort is an all-season mountain resort being built by the OKKO Group since October 2024 in the Slavske community. The first phase of development covers 127 hectares and includes ten ski slopes, a complete technical snowmaking system, a gondola lift, two chairlifts, a Welcome Centre, a Mountain Centre, and five hotel complexes with over 1,100 rooms. The OKKO Group serves as the owner, investor, and developer of the project. The opening of the resort is planned for 2027, with the hotel facilities expected to follow in the summer of 2028. The international consulting firms ILF Group and PKF Hospitality are involved in the development of the resort. The total investment volume of the project, which extends over 1,200 hectares and a period of 15 years, is estimated at around 1.5 billion US dollars.