Jon Jay Howard,

henergyinnovations@gmail.com

1) They actually created a power grid between Scott Base and McMurdo where the turbines provide the full power of Scott Base and anything left over goes to McMurdo. In the event that the turbines go down McMurdo can backfill Scott Base over this grid. The trickiest part here is NZ and US power runs at a different frequency that must be changed at each station.

2) McMurdo had to do some significant profiling and planning to figure out their load and assure proper levels of electricity across the station. You always have to generate more than you use so the station doesn’t brown out, but not too much or you’re wasting fuel. Also McMurdo has to assure heating for the station, much of which comes from the waste heat off the diesel generators so a certain level of diesel generation has to occur.

3) Supplies are damn near impossible to get. The crane needed to erect the turbines had to be rented for about a year and half for the few months of work erecting turbine shafts.

4) Due to the inability to pour concrete in Antarctica (lack of perfect rocks drying difficulties) they had to come up with a truly ingenious system where the turbine towers are connected to large concrete blocks buried in the volcanic rock below. This took a bit of engineering and buy off from the manufacturer

1) They actually created a power grid between Scott Base and McMurdo where the turbines provide the full power of Scott Base and anything left over goes to McMurdo. In the event that the turbines go down McMurdo can backfill Scott Base over this grid. The trickiest part here is NZ and US power runs at a different frequency that must be changed at each station.

2) McMurdo had to do some significant profiling and planning to figure out their load and assure proper levels of electricity across the station. You always have to generate more than you use so the station doesn’t brown out, but not too much or you’re wasting fuel. Also McMurdo has to assure heating for the station, much of which comes from the waste heat off the diesel generators so a certain level of diesel generation has to occur.

3) Supplies are damn near impossible to get. The crane needed to erect the turbines had to be rented for about a year and half for the few months of work erecting turbine shafts.

4) Due to the inability to pour concrete in Antarctica (lack of perfect rocks drying difficulties) they had to come up with a truly ingenious system where the turbine towers are connected to large concrete blocks buried in the volcanic rock below. This took a bit of engineering and buy off from the manufacturer

Jon J. Howard

henergyinnovations@gmail.com