The Triavium ice rink will open in December at the earliest this year. A necessary part of the installation that makes the ice is broken. A replacement part is not easily found.
As a result, the opening of the ice rink will be postponed by at least three months, the municipality of Nijmegen said. That means Triavium may not reopen until 2023. The ice rink is normally closed from mid-April to mid-September.
The defective part in the chiller is responsible for the production of the ice and is therefore crucial for the ice rink. Two weeks ago, it became apparent during a routine check that this component was no longer sufficient and could not be repaired.
“At the moment, a new part of the installation is being sought in the Netherlands and even beyond our borders. Unfortunately, we are dealing with a shortage of materials and means of transport,” says a spokesperson for the municipality, who expects more in a few weeks. becomes clear about a new opening date. “We are working urgently.”
According to the municipality, there seemed to be no problem in 2019 during an inspection by an external company. “The company then established that the installation was fully satisfactory and that there was no cause for concern for the coming years,” said the municipal spokesperson.
The associations that use the ice rink have been informed. This also applies to the Nijmegen Devils ice hockey club. The league starts for the Eredivisie team in September. Chairman Ronald Diehle is very disappointed and hopes that an interim solution will be found. “Nowadays they can make temporary ice cream in the craziest places, so that should work in Triavium too,” he says.
If that proves impossible, Diehle doesn’t know what the solution is. “All other skating rinks are full. Maybe we should postpone our start of the competition until December. That would be terrible for the club. To hear on the hottest day of the year that the ice rink is not open sounds like a joke. is more of a catastrophe than a joke.”