Energy supply
An intelligent management system controls the electrical and thermal energy supply from diesel generators. Electricity demand is supplemented by a wind power plant. By integrating additional systems, the relative contribution of alternative energy will be increased gradually over the coming years.
The station's energy supply comes from a block heat and power plant containing four diesel generators of 150 kW each. Three generators are in alternating operation, one genarator serves as an emergency power supply. The waste heat from the genrators is used for the heating system and for melting snow. A 30 kW wind generator is an eco-friendly source of energy in Antarctica and is directly connected to the energy sytem of the station. In the near future, additional wind genrators will reduce the emission of the power plant to a minimum. When the station was being designed, the requirements laid down in the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty were adhered to, e.g. through the use of environmentally neutral construction materials, catalytic converters for the diesel generators and oil collecting equipment for the oil tanks. Waste is routinely collected and shipped back to Germany once a year.