MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chilean Antarctic bases changing energy sources with German support

Dr. Marcelo Leppe, head of the Chilean Antarctic Institute said that protecting the environment is central to all activities of his country's bases

The Chilean Antarctic Institute, Inach, Germany's International Cooperation Agency, GIZ, and the Antarctica Foundation 21 have started working in energy options, assessing alternatives for the Chilean bases in the continent, avoiding CO2 emissions, such as green hydrogen.

The Antarctica base “Professor Julio Escudero” is where the agreement will be first implemented, giving priority to green hydrogen and its derivates. Chile has several bases in the Antarctic Peninsula all of them involved in scientific research and logistic activities.

But power and thermal supply so far because of geographic and climate conditions has been based mainly on fossil fuels.

Dr Marcelo Leppe, head of the Chilean Antarctic Institute said that protecting the environment is central to all activities and is one of the research chapters of the country's Antarctic Science Program based on the document, “Human footprints in Antarctica”.

“This concern is in line with the renovation of three of our Inach bases, that gives priority to an environment-friendly design, including the way we generate energy for the whole operation, and thus the significance of developing green hydrogen”, added Leppe.

The head of the GIZ energy program, Rainer Schroer explained that “Germany's commitment is to support the energy transition in Chile, and thus the initiative has a very positive impact which will benefit this unique continent, which we must protect and preserve, and will be a reference for other countries to migrate to systems with zero emissions”.

Finally the president of the Antarctica Foundation 21, Jaime Vázquez said it was part of his mission to promote the protection of the Antarctic ecosystem.

“We are sure that the production potential of green hydrogen in the Magallanes Region and Chilean Antarctica offers concrete opportunities to boost the energy transition in the Chilean bases”.