Posted on 06 Mar 2025
China’s State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) claims its Qing Teng fuel cell system has successfully operated in Antarctica, realising the first application of hydrogen energy technology in such an environment.
The project is located at the Qingling Station on Endersberg Island, said to be one of the harshest areas in Antarctica, Kallanish notes. Taiyuan University of Technology leads the research and development of this new energy microgrid system and SPIC Hydrogen Energy is the responsible party for the project. The United Nations Hydrogen Technology also participated in its implementation.
“Since new energy hydrogen production and hydrogen fuel cell power generation have good adaptability to low temperatures, the hydrogen-electricity coupled energy supply system with wind-solar-hydrogen-storage-load has become the preferred choice for harsh polar environments,” SPIC states in the announcement.
The Qingteng fuel cell is one of the core components of the microgrid, with hydrogen providing both energy storage and distributed energy.
“When wind and solar conditions are good, the system uses excess electricity to produce hydrogen and stores hydrogen to achieve energy storage,” the company explains. “When wind and solar power conditions are poor, hydrogen fuel cells are used to convert hydrogen into electrical energy and thermal energy. The system can provide the station area with about 2.5 hours of power supply with a maximum of 150 kilowatts.”
Source:Kallanish
