The first Alternative Energy Power Station opened this week at Princess Elisabeth station in East Antarctica proving the point that you don’t need to be in the desert to generate power from Solar or on a Scottish Coast to capture wind power.
“If we can build such a station in Antarctica we can do that elsewhere in our society. We have the capacity, the technology, the knowledge to change our world,” Alain Hubert, the station’s project director.
Solar panels that can withstand the cold temperatures on the Antarctic Peninsula can collect as much energy as their counterparts in the USA or Europe.
The base is researching global warming and emissions and uses both solar and wind turbines to provide electricity for general use and heating hot water.
This project is a major first: the only polar base operating entirely on renewable energies!
This represents a technical achievement blending the best both science and technology can offer.
By bringing together international technology and expertise, “Princess Elisabeth” will combine eco-friendly construction materials, clean and efficient energy use, optimization of the station’s energy consumption and the best waste management techniques.
These leading techniques and facilities will aim to reduce the station’s ecological footprint on the pristine environment of Antarctica, following the principles set forth by the Antarctic Treaty.