Energy storage under extreme wheather conditions in Antarctica

General Planning

Concept Planning and Basic Engineering of Battery Storage Systems for Sustainable Energy Solutions

The Alfred-Wegener-Institute is a leading German research institution specializing in the study of polar regions. It is one of the few organizations active in both the Arctic and Antarctic.

For the Neumayer Research Station in Antarctica, there was a need to develop a powerful energy storage system. This system would efficiently store excess energy from wind and photovoltaic systems to ensure continuous station operation under extreme climatic conditions and significantly reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

The project involved concept planning and basic engineering for a battery storage system with a capacity of approximately 500 kWh. The planning adhered to DNV standards, the world's largest ship classification society, which certifies energy systems in maritime environments. The research station was classified as a ship, and the storage system was specified accordingly. Key tasks included analyzing requirements and creating a comprehensive safety philosophy suitable for the extreme local conditions. A detailed concept for the technical building equipment was developed, considering the system’s placement under the ice and challenges such as temperatures ranging from 0°C to -26°C. Finally, the station’s overall grid quality was analyzed, and long-term planning for energy self-sufficiency through renewable sources was prepared to minimize fossil fuel consumption.