Sustainability

Energy solutions and other environmental responsibility

We strive for environmentally friendly and energy-saving measures every day of the year, in everything we do. Before, we built a snow castle in the winter months using sea water and ice. The castle melted away in the spring, returning to where it was born, i.e. the sea. We still build from the snow in the winter, but over the years we have worked consistently, developing year-round operations. Nowadays, the SnowCastle area is a versatile set of services serving all year round.

During the construction phase of the SnowCastle area, we wanted to design the energy solutions to be responsible and efficient. In the area, geothermal heat, ground cold and natural cold are utilized. The heating energy needed by our property is produced by geothermal energy and the cooling energy by geo wells. In addition, there is Lapland’s largest solar power plant on the roof of the main building. There are more than 400 panels and according to the estimate, the total power of the power plant is 140 kWp and the yield on top of 100,000 kWh per year. When we produce utility electricity ourselves with solar panels, we are a self-sufficient energy producer and get financial savings at the same time. 

Waste heat from the kitchen is used e.g. for heating domestic water and the use of water is limited. Our water faucets are water-saving and our Villa guests can use hot water only to a limited extent at a time. Our tap water is completely clean and safe to drink, so there is no need for bottled water. We also try to use as little paper as possible in our daily work and we also encourage our customers to recycle in our premises. We currently sort mixed and organic waste, paper, cardboard, glass, metal and plastic.

Our Villas are built from Finnish logs and we have bought the interior materials, machinery and equipment from local entrepreneurs. The other buildings in the area are examples of local craftsmanship, as a rule, wood is the building material.

There are four public charging points for electric cars at the SnowCastle of Kemi parking lot in Kemi. The charging points are part of the Powered by Virta charging network. Virta is Europe’s fast-growing charging platform for electric cars.

We have developed a customer feedback survey for the Kemi region in cooperation with Salmi Platform. The survey also takes into account the carbon footprint left by the traveler. We have also started calculating the carbon footprint in our various functions with the Hiilikuri tool. We strive for measurable and transparent operations. We are developing our company’s information management and have acquired tools for up-to-date and informative measurement and reporting. We are involved in the STORe project of managing with information through the cooperation of Visit Oulu. The goal of the project is to promote the growth, know-how, competitiveness and reliability of the region and tourism companies in the international tourism sector. Responsibility measures are an essential part of this.

Locality and other economic and socio-cultural responsibility

We are a city-owned company and bear the financial responsibility towards the city of Kemi by bringing a significant amount of tourism income to the region in addition to our own turnover all year round.

We see cooperation as a very important part of our business. We are a partner in both Visit Rovaniemi and Visit Oulu, promoting the cooperation of both the Lapland region and the coastal region. We also seek wider cooperation through project work. We have participated in the development of Arctic European tourism for years in cooperation with Northern Norway, Swedish Lapland and Finnish Lapland. Currently, the third phase of the Interreg project called the Arctic Europe Tourism Cluster is underway.

We try to use a lot of local workforce and the expertise of companies in the area. We cooperate with local hobbyist groups, sports clubs, educational institutions and associations. Famous mascots of the SnowCastle appear in the area in winter, and for the past two years the Scouts: Pohjolan Tytöt and Kemin Kotkat have been responsible for the appearance of the mascots.

We organize events in cooperation, increasing local attraction and retention. We work in cooperation with local educational institutions, the purpose of which is to guide and train the region’s young people for working life, and thus to secure the local workforce in the future as well. We enable students with internships and future jobs. We are a cooperation company or the object of a demonstration project for many students’ theses. In 2023-2024, we were, among other things, a partner company in 4 nations project of Lapin AMK, and the thesis was done on the responsibility of our company. We have been cooperating with Ammattiopisto Luovi for several years. Students complete work placements at SnowCastle on Tuesdays throughout the year.

We try to order our restaurant’s raw materials and other materials and services as close as possible, utilizing local quality and know-how. Our a la carte menu always has a three-course vegan menu to choose from, we prefer Fair Trade products, local food and organic products. Both our breakfast and lunch buffets represent a wide range of responsible choices. We try to avoid wastage by considering the number of customers, weighing and tracking breakfast wastage and selling wasted food to the staff. You can also find our restaurant through the RESQ application.

We have also made beer in cooperation with a local brewery. Tornion Panimo produces Sampo beer for us, the taste is the fine and familiar original lager and the appearance is designed by The Icebreaking Company.