Decarbonising the fuel for polar vehicles at Sky Blu Logistics Facility

The iX competition, delivered by the Knowledge Transfer Network, is supporting the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) to identify solutions to innovation challenges. This current challenge relates to the need to decarbonise the polar vehicles which clear the runway at the Sky Blu logistics facility.

Opportunity

Challenge opens

14/09/2020

Challenge closes

23/10/2020

Benefit

Background

1. UKRI 2040 net zero carbon target 

BAS delivers and enables world-leading interdisciplinary research in the Polar Regions. Its skilled science and support staff based in Cambridge, Antarctica and the Arctic, work together to deliver research that uses the Polar Regions to advance our understanding of Earth as a sustainable planet. Through its extensive logistical capability and know how BAS facilitates access for the British and international science community to the UK polar research operation. BAS is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). NERC is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). 

As climate change poses the threat of a potential global 1.5°C temperature increase, sustainability is a key driver in the modernisation of all BAS facilities, with a target set for all buildings to be designed and operating at net-zero carbon by 2040 (UKRI Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2020).

2. Location

Sky Blu Logistics Facility


Sky-Blu is an area of blue ice situated close to Sky-Hi Nunataks (800 miles from the Rothera research station) suitable for use as an ice runway for wheeled aircraft. It is used as a logistics facility, allowing BAS aircraft to refuel before moving on to research stations. In support of the runway, there is a small camp which comprises a “melon” hut together with a number of tents, garage, food depot, radio aerial, toilet facility etc. 


The site is unmanned for 9 – 10 months a year. At the start of each summer season snow drifts have to be removed from the runway in preparation for the aircraft’s arrival. Skidoo and small vehicles are used as snow ploughs. The vehicles currently use more than 16,000litres of diesel per year for this purpose.

Weather at the site is very sunny, solar hours have not been recorded. It is also very windy, with wind speeds of 0 to 30m/s. Temperatures are below zero degrees all year round. 

Challenges

1. Introduction

BAS is looking for solutions which help to decarbonise their polar vehicles used at the Sky Blu Logistics Facility. The solution should be capable of producing and storing energy at the site. The energy should be low carbon and BAS would look very favourably on solutions that are net zero carbon. 

BAS is open to any energy source including but not limited to; gaseous fuels, liquid fuels or electric power. The solution will need to cope with the weather conditions at the site during the operational months in the summer and the unmanned winter months.

BAS would expect the solution provider to offer advice on adapting the current vehicles to run on the low carbon fuel or to recommend new vehicles that would accept the low carbon fuel and be suitable for the environmental conditions.

2. Out of scope

3. Rewards and benefits

Successful applicants will be given the opportunity to pitch their idea to BAS in December.

4. Deployment timescales

  • Launch of the Competition: 14th September 2020
  • Deadline for applications: 23rd October 2020
  • Selection and notification of finalists: 13th November 2020
  • Pitch workshops: week commencing 7th December 2020

Solutions should be:

  • Fully deployable for prototype testing within 1 year of competition win.
  • Fully deployable commercially within 2 years

5. Market opportunity

BAS is looking for a solution to purchase. Due to the location of the logistics facility, maintenance and potentially installation of the system would have to be carried out by BAS themselves.

Eligibility and Scoring criteria

Entrants to this competition must be:

  • Established businesses, startups, SMEs or individual entrepreneurs
  • UK based or have the intention to set up a UK base

Applications will be assessed on:

  • Relevance to the challenge
  • Innovative nature of the solution
  • Maturity of solution
  • Ease of installation and maintenance
  • Price/quality ratio

IP and Potential Commercial Route  

  • Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with Solution Provider(s). Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subject to the mutual IP agreement of the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
  • Any commercial deployment of transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership or direct investment, will be subject to the commercial agreement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
  • Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
  • Innovate UK and KTN do not take any share of IP ownership or enter into commercial venture through the IX programme.

If you have any questions about the content of this challenge or are looking for a collaboration partner, we would be happy to help. Do not hesitate to contact Jenni McDonnell at the KTN for a detailed discussion: jenni.mcdonnell@ktn-uk.org

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