On Monday, May 30th, the International Polar Foundation (IPF), Schneider Electric, and Venturi will host an official EU Green Week 2022 partner hybrid event, Striving to Reduce the Environmental Footprint of Polar Research.
The event will take place from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm at Atelier 29, Rue Jacques de Lalaing 29, 1000 Brussels.
From 2007-09, the International Polar Foundation, with the support of its many private sector partners and the Belgian State, designed and constructed the world’s first zero-emission polar research station - the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica (PEA).
Fully operational since 2009, the primary goal of constructing the groundbreaking station was to serve as a zero-emission platform for scientists working in the Dronning Maud Land region of East Antarctica.
Now that the revolutionary Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station has been in operation for more than a decade, IPF would like to showcase the latest innovations at the revolutionary research platform that reduce even further the environmental footprint of doing scientific research in Antarctica. Improvements and initiatives that will be explained during the event include:
- Industry-leading upgrades to the station’s renewable energy production and management;
- A brand new water treatment system with higher capacity - a system that goes above and beyond the requirements of the Madrid Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty;
- The entry into use of the Venturi Antarctica, the first electric polar exploration vehicle, which is now used to support of polar research at PEA.
While walk-ins are welcome, we would prefer it if you could please register if you plan to attend so we can adequately prepare event logistics.
Online participation is also possible. The press conference part of the event will be live streamed on the IPF's YouTube Channel. A recording of the press conference will also be posted on this channe la few days after the event.
Programme:
10:00 am - 11:00 am - PRESS CONFERENCE featuring:
Alain Hubert (Founder and Chairman, International Polar Foundation)
- David Orgaz D'Hollander (President, Benelux Region, Schneider Electric)
- Franck Baldet (CTO, Venturi)
- Sarah Wauthy (Glaciology Laboratory, Université Libre de Bruxelles)
- Preben Van Overmeiren (Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University)
- Kate Winter (Senior Lecturer in Extreme Environments, Northumbria University)
10:45 am - Q&A
11:00 am - 12:30 pm - Individual workshops on renewable technologies used at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica
IPF engineers who have been working on the latest improvements to the PEA Station and representatives from Schneider Electric and Venturi Automobiles will give in-depth workshops illustrating how the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica’s systems and the Venturi Antarctica function. They will answer any in-depth questions the press, policymakers, and the general public may have about the groundbreaking station, its technical aspects, and the Venturi Antarctica electric vehicle.
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Walking lunch
You are welcome to contact us by email at events@polarfoundation.org or by phone at +32 2 520 34 40 if you have any questions about the event.
Antarctic photos for sale
For those interested in beautiful photos of Antarctic landscapes and animals, as well as a few photos of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, IPF will also have several magnificent photos on display at the event. Personalised prints of each photo can be ordered. Proceeds will go towards supporting the work of the International Polar Foundation. More information can be obtained at the Green Week event or by contacting us at events@polarfoundation.org .
