Researching how hydrogen could be generated, used and stored at Scott Base in Antarctica

A UC probe task evaluating the feasibility of hydrogen accumulation successful Antarctica could assistance to trim c emissions successful the aboriginal by replacing fossil fuels with a zero-carbon alternative.

The research, successful collaboration with Antarctica New Zealand and Callaghan Innovation, is looking astatine however hydrogen could beryllium generated, utilized and stored astatine Scott Base and assorted distant tract camps to trim the reliance connected carbon-based fuels presently utilized for transport, cooking and heating.

The task squad of 4 UC Chemical and Process Engineering students: Indy Platt-Byrnes, Kate Stoddart, Jack Scott, and Ben Trigg, is being supervised by UC Adjunct Fellow and Jembec Consulting Principal Dr. Brendon Miller.

Dr. Miller says with the improvement of a caller upwind workplace astatine Scott Base, the surplus energy generated by upwind turbines could beryllium utilized to make greenish hydrogen.

"Currently Antarctica New Zealand uses fossil fuels for transport to and cognition of distant tract camps but wants to analyse the feasibility of generating and utilizing hydrogen arsenic an alternate fuel. Turning excess energy from the turbines into hydrogen would assistance trim emissions from burning fossil fuels and besides transporting those fuels to Antarctica.

"Hydrogen is simply a measurement successful the close direction—if not the eventual answer—to providing a zero-carbon alternate to fossil fuels successful Antarctica."

Ms Stoddart says the task provides an accidental to research a real-world solution involving unsocial plan challenges.

"This task has the imaginable to assistance trim c emissions successful Antarctica, but determination are a fig of plan challenges to consider, specified arsenic the geographic isolation, the pristine environment, utmost conditions and distant tract camps. Being capable to enactment with manufacture connected a real-world exertion is providing invaluable first-hand acquisition arsenic to what a vocation successful this tract could look like."

Mr Platt-Byrnes says the task has provided a invaluable penetration into the technological enactment undertaken successful Antarctica, arsenic good arsenic Antarctica New Zealand's advancement successful reducing emissions.

"It has been fascinating learning astir however operations astatine Scott Base are conducted by Antarctica New Zealand to enactment research, and however these tin beryllium modified wrong the unsocial acceptable of considerations and constraints to optimize our projected process economically.

"Antarctica New Zealand's enactment implicit the past 10 years and tendency to further offset their carbon emissions sets a bully precedent for the 29 countries that run bases wrong Antarctica. Hopefully, this task volition animate akin initiatives to beryllium undertaken astatine different imperishable probe stations."

The task commenced successful August and volition beryllium completed successful November.

Antarctica New Zealand Environmental Advisor Sophia White says the outcomes of their probe volition beryllium utilized by the enactment to pass futureproofing of their operations.

"We cognize burning fossil fuels has resulted successful man-made clime alteration that is affecting the satellite today. The students' task is important for america because, arsenic kaitiaki of Antarctica, we privation to determination distant from vigor sources that are damaging our satellite and this probe shows america what could beryllium possible."

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