MISSION 03 – ANTARCTICA
Mission 03 – Antarctica of the "Venturi Global Challenges" consists of creating a zero-emission vehicle capable of functioning under the extreme weather conditions of the Antarctic. The "Venturi Antarctica" will thus be tested at the International Princess Elisabeth Station - the 1st station in the Antarctic to be entirely powered by renewable energies.
This will be a double world première : firstly, "Antarctica" is the very first electric vehicle to be used on this continent, and furthermore, it will be recharged solely by means of non-fossil energies, such as the wind, an abundant commodity in this part of the world, and to a lesser extent, the sun. Ultimately, this means of transport and type of recharging should become widespread in the Antarctic, advantageously replacing for many tasks the high-pollution engines currently deployed in all Antarctic bases, engines whose fuel has to be transported on a permanent basis by airlifts.
STATION « PRINCESS ELIZABETH »
The International station, like all Antarctic research stations, contributes to science and to our understanding of the climate system of our planet. By bringing together existing technologies to be the first Antarctic station operating solely on renewable energies, this project shows that it is possible to achieve "zero emission" target everywhere.
The Princess Elisabeth station is a first in many respects. The advanced design methodology, including analysing the day-to-day requirements and needs of the research teams, the balance of new and proven technologies installed in the station, the intelligent integration to achieve the “zero emission” target, the private sector involvement in the financing, and the private/public partnership for future operations, are all innovative aspects which open up new possibilities for designing polar research stations of the future.
