China is making significant strides in sustainable scientific research with the upcoming operation of its first large-scale clean energy system at the Qinling Station in Antarctica, according to the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC).
The Qinling Station, China's fifth research outpost on the icy continent, is also the third base capable of year-round operations, accommodating up to 80 personnel during the summer and 30 in the winter.
Researchers have successfully installed hardware for wind power generation, photovoltaic power generation, energy storage batteries, hydrogen production, hydrogen storage, and hydrogen energy power generation at the station. Currently, the system is undergoing section-by-section debugging. In the designed clean energy system, photovoltaic and wind power make up 60 percent of the station's total energy capacity.
\"One of the major highlights in the Qinling Station project is its large-scale clean energy system, the first of its kind globally to be implemented in the extreme environment of Antarctica. The entire system is expected to be operational in February, marking a milestone in the efforts to achieve breakthroughs in key technologies for developing energy equipment and systems,\" said Sun Hongbin, chief scientist for polar clean energy at PRIC.
To ensure the system's reliability in Antarctica's harsh conditions, a laboratory was established at a university in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, to simulate Antarctic natural conditions. \"Simulations like strong winds, polar sunlight, and the phenomena of polar day and night are conducted in our extreme laboratory. The purpose of establishing this laboratory is to solve the difficulties in research, testing, and operational maintenance,\" Sun explained.
Once fully operational, the clean energy system will be capable of generating power for the Qinling Station for approximately 2.5 hours without wind or sunlight, ensuring the continuous green operation of the station's scientific research equipment and living facilities.
Reference(s):
China achieves green scientific research in the polar energy field
cgtn.com
