Tested during the World Championships in Trondheim, and the verdict is clear: A brand-new type of ski wax could change the sport forever.

Extensive secret testing during the World Championships in Trondheim has shown that Swix’s new climate-neutral ski wax performs just as well as the best racing products. The wax is made from CO2 emissions and renewable energy. The wax is entirely free of fossil resources and compromises—is this the future of skiing?

Developing environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic and petroleum-based waxes is something Swix has been working on for years. However, after they began collaborating with Nordic Electrofuel last summer, things have taken off.

In just nine months, they have now developed climate-neutral products that match or even surpass the best racing products used at the World Championships level today. They have achieved this by utilizing a completely different type of technology than what has been used before.

“We brought these new waxes to Granåsen during the World Championships, where we tested them for the first time. And the answer we got was yes, this is just as good as the best synthetic and petroleum-based racing products used on the World Cup today,” Christian Gløgård of Swix told Langrenn.com.

This is great news for both skiing and the climate. While today’s top racing products are now entirely free of fluorine and various harmful substances, they are still based on synthetic materials and/or petroleum—fossil resources that generate emissions.

High and Increasing Demand

Wax manufacturers are experiencing significant and growing demand for more environmentally friendly alternatives. However, Gløgård is not impressed with what has been developed so far.

“In some markets, there is already strong demand for environmentally friendly waxes, particularly in the U.S., where the solution has been plant-based waxes. These are waxes derived from everything from rice husks to palm trees. But I’ve always been a bit skeptical about how environmentally friendly they actually are,” says Gløgård.

He points out several challenges with such plant-based waxes, including ecological, environmental, and ethical concerns.

“It requires a lot of chemical processing and energy to extract these plant-based waxes. Additionally, you must be careful about where these waxes come from. You need certification for all the raw materials you use to ensure they do not come from, for example, illegal rainforest logging,” Gløgård explains.

“And when you use plant-based waxes, you are essentially taking land away from food production. So there are a whole host of challenges associated with plant-based waxes.”

Not as Good

Other challenges with plant-based waxes relate to quality and performance. So far, Swix has not found any such alternatives that match the best racing products used at the elite level today.

“It has proven difficult to create plant-based waxes with the same glide properties as the products we already have. The best ones today are synthetic waxes and those derived from the petroleum industry. They are very good, and these are the ones used in racing products,” says Gløgård.

That’s why Swix has been searching for environmentally friendly products that can compete with traditional ones without compromising performance.

Last summer, the project took a new direction. Now, Swix has found a Norwegian supplier offering fully climate-neutral, locally produced waxes with properties that are just as good as, or even better than, traditional ones.

“The company Nordic Electrofuel provides waxes with the same carbon chain structures that we use in our racing products. These are the ones we tested during the World Championships in Trondheim. We see that they are just as good as the synthetic and petroleum-based top products we use today,” says Gløgård.

Completely Climate-Neutral: A Win-Win-Win

The Norwegian company uses what’s called PTL technology (Power to Liquid). They capture CO2 from emission sources or directly from the air and use 100% renewable electricity to create environmentally friendly and climate-neutral “e-fuels.” These are primarily intended to replace conventional aviation fuel and fossil fuels.

However, in this process, they also produce substances that can be used to manufacture other products that have traditionally been derived from the petroleum industry, including waxes for ski waxing.

CO2 is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and climate change. By removing CO2 from the air, emissions that drive the greenhouse effect are reduced. Furthermore, by using 100% renewable energy to produce products that the world needs—products that currently leave a significant climate footprint—this technology represents a major step toward a greener future.

In this context, ski wax is, of course, a small player, but everything is part of the supply chain, Gløgård points out.

“In that sense, you could say that we are using their by-product to create completely climate-neutral ski wax,” says Gløgård. Emphasizing that global warming is undoubtedly a threat to the future of skiing.

Inspired by Nature’s Principles

Bjørn Bringedal of Nordic Electrofuel explains that the PtL technology used to produce eFuel can be compared to a kind of synthetic photosynthesis.

Where plants absorb CO2 from the air and use sunlight to produce glucose for growth. PtL technology then captures CO2 from the air or emission sources and adds energy from electricity to convert CO2 into synthetic fuels and wax.

This wax, which is entirely free of additives, can then be refined into a wide range of products that are currently petroleum-based.

Support from the EU and SINTEF

Nordic Electrofuel has already received €40 million in funding from the EU to develop the technology and start commercial-scale production. They are also collaborating on a three-year research project with SINTEF.

Now, Bringedal is just waiting for the final approval to begin building the factory in Herøya. With the ambition of having it operational by the end of 2025.

FACTS: What is Ski Wax?

• In short, ski wax consists of solid or liquid products applied to skis to improve their performance in various conditions.
• Traditionally, ski wax has been made from synthetic or petroleum-based carbon compounds.
• In recent years, alternative products based on plant oils instead of fossil raw materials have been introduced. These have generally not performed on par with synthetic and petroleum-based products.

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