China-made generator with nonstop power to boost polar research

China’s first domestically made portable generator capable of providing power unattended in the polar region will soon be delivered to a Chinese research station in Antarctica, with an expert saying that the use of the generator will not only boost China’s Antarctic research, but also help secure China’s interests there.

The generator, independently developed by Southeast University in Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu Province will be brought by China’s research icebreaker Xuelong to the Antarctic in November during the country’s 35th Antarctic expedition, according to a statement the university released on its WeChat account on Monday.

It can provide nonstop electricity, making it the first of its kind in China, the university said.

Shaped like a container, the generator will be placed in China’s Taishan Station, which is located in the heart of the Antarctic 2,600 meters above sea level. The annual average temperature is -36.6 C, the statement said.

Dong Yue, a research fellow at the Polar Research Institute of the Ocean University of China, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the Taishan Station is very close to the South Pole, and its observation area and tasks assigned have significant meaning to China’s strategic interests in the region.

With sufficient power supply, researchers can undertake more activities, which will support the nation’s presence in the Antarctic, Dong said.

The generator is expected to provide nonstop power supply throughout the year, the statement said.

It will help the station conduct monitoring missions and communicate with the control center in China through satellites without researchers physically present in the harsh environment, it said.

Experiences in using the generator at the Taishan Station will be used for future deployments in other polar research stations, Dong said.

The generator consists of a power generation chamber and an apparatus chamber. It carries four power generation units and is capable of storing up to six tons of fuel, the university said.

China’s 35th Antarctic expedition will leave on Friday, hoping to build the country’s first permanent airport in the South Pole, Beijing-based newspaper Science and Technology Daily reported on Monday.