Supporting Sustainable Observation with Yanmar’s Power Generation Technology

Antarctica is an extreme environment where the annual average temperature can drop below -40 to under -50 degrees in inland areas. The Syowa Station is a key facility operated by the National Institute of Polar Research. You might be surprised to learn that a Yanmar generator supplies the electricity needed for research activities and daily life at this remote station.

Established in 1957, the Syowa Station has a history of nearly 70 years. The 67th party is currently overwintering there. Yanmar’s 6RL-T engine was installed there in 1983 and starting the following year, Yanmar has dispatched employees to the National Institute of Polar Research to serve as generator operators responsible for the operation and maintenance of the base’s generator. For over 40 years, these power generation specialists have ensured a stable power supply, supporting observation activities and daily life in Antarctica while keeping Syowa Station running without interruption.

For this article, we interviewed three Yanmar employees who were dispatched to the National Institute of Polar Research and went to Antarctica as members of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition, and Satoshi Imura, Director of the Center for Antarctic Programs, National Institute of Polar Research, who has been to Antarctica multiple times. Our discussion focused on the current state of the global environment as seen from Antarctica, the aims of the observation activities, and their vision of the future.

Web Site：Yanmar and Antarctica

Antarctic research today—sampling air from one million years ago?!

——For those of us who live in Japan, just hearing the name “Antarctica” seems like an unimaginably harsh environment. First, please tell us the objectives of the current observation activities.

Imura: Maintaining and managing the observation activities at Syowa Station and sending researchers there are two key roles of the National Institute of Polar Research. But why go to such lengths to conduct research in Antarctica? The primary purpose is to understand climate change.

Although the term “global warming” has been around for some time, a short-term rise in temperatures does not necessarily prove global warming. In the Earth’s long history, it is possible that we are simply observing the peaks and valleys of natural fluctuations. It has been 70 years since we started observations, but it is impossible to draw definitive conclusions with that data alone.

Therefore, we need to monitor the present state of Antarctica while also investigating past environmental conditions from multiple perspectives.

——What kind of observations are conducted?

Imura: There are three main areas: ice sheet drilling, ocean research beneath the ice, and atmospheric research.

For ice sheet drilling research, we operate at Dome Fuji which is about 1,000 km inland from Syowa Station. Dome Fuji Station was also a filming location for the movie “The Chef of South Polar”. 5 km from Dome Fuji we have established Dome Fuji II Camp about which is where we conduct drilling.

Antarctic ice is formed from accumulated snow that is compressed with trapped air. By drilling into this ice, we can sample the air of the Earth from the past as if we are opening a time capsule. We are currently targeting ice from up to one million years ago. Our analysis could give us clear insight into the Earth’s climate cycle over a million years, as natural phenomena from the distant past can also serve as indicators when predicting the future global environmental changes.

——Ice and air from one million years ago… It sounds like a story on a scale beyond our imagination!

Imura: In recent years, it has become clear that Antarctic ice is melting from below due to warmer seawater flowing beneath it. This is a serious phenomenon that is directly linked to rising sea levels.

Also, Earth’s atmosphere circulates between the equator and the polar regions, driven by heating at the equator and cooling at the poles. This means that air from around the world accumulates at the poles. Therefore, we have installed 1,000 antennas in Syowa Station and have been observing atmospheric flow in Antarctica, which enables us to essentially perform a kind of “health checkup” of the entire Earth.

——I understand that such a health checkup is only possible in Antarctica. How is the diagnosis used to improve Earth’s health?

Imura: If global warming is indeed occurring, it has become clear that rising sea levels will have serious consequences. Therefore, I believe it is extremely important to share the critical state of the global environment from Antarctica.

For example, it was Syowa Station that observed the existence of ozone holes and quickly alerted the world. Only five years after that report, an international treaty to regulate emissions of fluorocarbon gases was signed. Substances emitted in the past still remain in the atmosphere, so it takes time for such issues to completely disappear, but the ozone holes are steadily shrinking now.

——Does global warming also have same level of urgency?

Imura: Actually, as far as the area around Syowa Station is concerned, we rarely feel any drastic temperature rise. Even in Antarctica, there are areas where temperatures are rising and areas where temperatures are stable, and the temperature has not risen much in the area around Syowa Station.

On the other hand, in some areas in Antarctica, ice is melting rapidly, the ground is being exposed, grass is growing, and we are seeing a Green Antarctica. The fact that we have started to feel temperature increases at Syowa Station may mean that a considerable change is occurring on a global level. That is why daily monitoring is essential.
I believe we should continue to monitor rising temperatures as well as ice melting due to rising sea temperatures.

A Constant Battle Against the Risk of Power Outages

——Earlier, Prof. Imura mentioned that Antarctica is the ideal site for performing “health checkups” of the Earth, and I understand it is Yanmar’s generator that supports such observation activities and life at Syowa Station.

Ishikawa: Yanmar has been on-site with the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition for more than 40 years and has supported their observation activities and daily life. The main generator currently used at Syowa Station is a second-generation machine.

In addition to maintenance of Yanmar’s generator, we are also responsible for the maintenance and management of all power, including over 30 small generators at the station, including those from other companies. At Syowa Station, about 30 members of the wintering party operate for a year and nearly 100 members are there in summer, but it is said that if the power went out, everything would freeze within four hours.

——In only four hours…?

Takagi: Of course, it has never actually stopped for that long, but if the engine were to stop due to a malfunction and cause a power outage, it would be a life-threatening situation for the entire expedition team. Therefore, in addition to performing scheduled maintenance to replace filters and thoroughly check the generator, one of the two engines is kept as a backup power supply, and they operate alternately every 500 hours. Even though we have made all these preparations, power outages still occur on rare occasions due to unavoidable circumstances.

Hasegawa: We have alarm systems in place so that we can respond immediately should any failure occur with the generator. Of course, it is best to prevent power outages from happening in the first place, but restoring the engines to normal operation as soon as possible in case of any trouble is just as important.

Probably, every engineer who has served here has faced the fear of power outages.

——Being prepared for a power outage must feel like you are on high alert 24/7.

Ishikawa: It is true that I might not have had much time to truly relax, but the everyday environment in the station is not as harsh as you might imagine. The inside of buildings is maintained at a very comfortable 20 degrees Celsius. There are even members who walk around in T-shirts and shorts [laughs].

——T-shirts and shorts in Antarctica?! I didn’t expect that.

Takagi: I was surprised too [laughs]. At Syowa Station, we utilize the waste heat released when the engines operate to melt ice for water or to heat the station. We also use supplementary heating, but basically, we efficiently circulate engine heat to create a comfortable environment in the station.

Imura: In terms of energy efficiency, life at Syowa Station could be described as the ultimate eco-friendly lifestyle.

There is a limit to the number of supplies that we can bring to Antarctica, and fuel accounts for most of the supplies. To continue our Antarctic observation, it is important to convert the fuel into electricity as efficiently as possible and make full use of the heat generated.

Our generation must keep the flame burning

——You mentioned power outages earlier, but were there any moments of tension on site?

Hasegawa: Our aim is to complete the wintering without any outages, but of course unexpected issues do occur.

What I experienced was a sudden power outage on the day of a major Type-A blizzard. I thought it was probably due to snow blowing in, but I was unable to determine the cause with certainty. When the cause is unknown, we need to start the backup engine, but the backup power supply I prepared in a hurry did not turn on at the first attempt.

Thinking something was wrong, I tried it again and fortunately I was able to start it. But after all this time, I still clearly remember the fear that crossed my mind, thinking that it could become a life-threatening situation if it did not start on the second or third attempt.

Ishikawa: In my case, we avoided a power outage, but I really panicked when the expansion tank low water alarm went off at 4 in the morning. This alarm goes off when engine cooling water is low. Judging from the situation, it was likely that water was leaking, and it would have led to a power outage if we had ignored it. There were no abnormalities inside the building, so I checked the outdoor pipes and found that coolant was leaking near the radiator outside. Another factor was that the blizzard had caused an icicle to form on a valve handle. The weight of the horizontally extended ice made the handle turn, opening the valve. I retightened the handle immediately and managed to avoid any trouble, but this incident made me realize that unexpected things can and do happen in Antarctica’s natural environment.

——The pressure to keep the engines running in an environment where electricity is vital to life must be intense. In that context, when do you feel the greatest sense of fulfilment in your work?

Hasegawa: I always kept in mind the goal of recovering within one hour even if a power outage occurs. Electricity should not be taken for granted, and that applies not only in Antarctica but also in Japan. So, I truly felt a sense of fulfillment when the maintenance of the engines was going well and everyone could live without any inconvenience.

Takagi: I felt most rewarded when I was able to continue supplying electricity for a year, without any problems to interrupt research data collection. If the power stops, observation data will be lost and become incomplete, as we could have collected some crucial data during that time. I believe that minimizing data loss and handing it over to the next expedition team is the greatest contribution we can make to the observation activities.

——No doubt the feeling of passing on the activity to the next expedition team is something that only those who have experienced it can understand.

Ishikawa: I think the engines are the heart of Syowa Station. The next expedition team can protect the engines thanks to the insights accumulated by our predecessors through overcoming difficulties for more than 20 years.

I feel like things passed down from my predecessors include not only technical skills but also special sentiments. There is a lot of pressure, but every generator operator feels the same responsibility: we must not let the light go out on our watch.

——So, as well as skills, passion and determination as a generator operator are also passed down from your predecessors…

Imura: As Mr. Ishikawa mentioned, the engines are truly the heart of Syowa Station. If the generator stops, everything grinds to a halt. The level of pressure they carry must be extraordinary. I am deeply grateful for the way they approach their work every day with the mindset that if something goes wrong, it’s their responsibility. Because of that, we can place complete trust in Yanmar’s technology and rely on it to support the entire station.

Without them, Japan’s Antarctic observation would not be possible. That’s how critical their role is.

A Community of Specialists Supporting Each Other

——How has your environmental awareness changed through the activities of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition?

Takagi: In fact, going to Antarctica drastically changes your awareness of energy and waste. Garbage sorting is divided into 13 specific categories, such as plastics, batteries, metals, glass, and ceramics, and there are strict rules such as wrapping tape around batteries for safety reasons.

Ishikawa: In terms of our awareness of waste, we start to think about how we can manage with what we have when we are in Antarctica. Because we do not always have everything we need, we fix broken items and keep using them. That mindset remains even after coming back to Japan.

Hasegawa: My awareness of electricity, gas, and water changed significantly through my experience living in Antarctica. I was in a position to promote energy-saving as someone responsible for maintaining and operating the generator in Antarctica, so it became second nature to me, and I find myself saving energy subconsciously even after returning to Japan [laughs].

——Earlier, Prof. Imura described life in Antarctica as the ultimate eco-friendly lifestyle, and that seems to be ingrained in everyone…

Imura: Yes. The wintering party of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition consists of 30 members, and each person takes on a role that is essential to daily life such as water production, cooking, electricity generation, and waste water treatment. That’s why you come to truly appreciate things like water and electricity, as well as the responsibility behind these roles.

Ishikawa: It is a small community, but there are all kinds of specialists, and when you bring everyone together, there’s a lot you can accomplish. In a typical organization, tasks are inevitably separated by departments, but we cannot survive life in Antarctica without helping each other. I felt the strength of community in that.

——I think that mindset is actually very important for Earth’s future. It is like taking the initiative to participate in society, not leaving it to others…

Imura: Being able to turn on a switch and have light or turn a tap to get water – these things basically define civilized life. But if you look around, you begin to realize that there are people behind every one of those things. I often explain that to children. Thinking about that broadens our horizons and changes the way we think. I learned this through my life in Antarctica, and I believe that having this awareness can lead to better choices and actions when it comes to the Earth and society.

Toward Sustainable Observation

——Are there any initiatives to further reduce environmental impact in Antarctic observation?

Imura: In recent Antarctic observations, we have been prohibited from disposing of garbage on-site under the Antarctic Treaty, so we will not leave any garbage behind in Antarctica. We burn the burnable garbage in an incinerator at the station, but we take the ash back. In recent years, we have also been engaging in initiatives to find and collect garbage that past expeditions buried before the Antarctic Treaty.

With the global move toward decarbonization, continuing sustainable observation without polluting the environment of Antarctica is a major challenge.

To achieve this, we are considering switching to engines with less environmental impact. However, it is difficult to completely move away from fossil fuels, so we are currently discussing how to build a system that maintains stable energy supplies while reducing environmental impact. We would also like to consider introducing hydrogen fuel in the future.

——What do you think is the mission of the generator operator in Antarctic observation, Mr. Ishikawa, Mr. Takagi, and Mr. Hasegawa?

Ishikawa: The operation of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition is supported by personnel dispatched from many companies. Yanmar is one such company, but it’s quite rare for a company to have been continuously sending personnel and accumulating expertise in this field for more than 40 years. I believe that this long-term commitment plays a significant role in sustaining Japan’s Antarctic research efforts.

And if someone should read this article and think, “I’d like to take on the challenge of Antarctica myself”, well nothing could please me more. I believe that having more people come forward to take on that challenge is what will support the future of this program.

Takagi: I also initially applied for the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition after seeing my senior colleagues in action in Antarctica. Knowing that Yanmar’s engines are supporting the lives, and even the safety, of the expedition team in such an inhospitable place is something that is truly irreplaceable. That’s why I want to make sure that the knowledge and wisdom we have accumulated is properly passed on to the next team members.

What we do is not research, but I believe that doing our best as engine caretakers will lead to a sustainable future for Antarctica and the planet.

Hasegawa: Yanmar’s products are used in many aspects of daily life, but we often do not notice them unless we look for them. The engines were running for 365 days during the year I spent in Antarctica, so it was a great experience for me to be able to see up-close that I was helping people’s lives.

It made me realize that our job isn’t just about manufacturing products and delivering them to customers, but it’s also about understanding how they are actually used and how they make a difference. Experiencing that directly helped me to build a deeper appreciation of the importance of products and technology. I especially felt that energy efficiency, which Prof. Imura mentioned, is an area that Yanmar can make a meaningful contribution.

About Yanmar’s Energy Systems

——Thank you. Lastly, Prof. Imura, please tell us about the outlook for Antarctic observation.

Imura: Looking ahead, there’s no doubt that the global environment will continue to be a big theme of Antarctic observation in the future. The total volume of ice in Antarctica is massive. About 2,000 meters covers a continent that is about 37 times larger than Japan. Now, it is starting to melt from the edges. If all the ice melted, sea levels would rise by about 60 meters. While it would take a very long time to reach that point, even a steady rise of a few millimetres per year could result in an increase of about 50 cm by the end of the century. If sea levels rose 50 cm in Japan, it would have serious consequences. We hope to make more people aware of this reality and contribute to efforts to address climate change.

Amid all this, Syowa Station will celebrate its 70th anniversary on January 29, 2027. A special exhibition, “Antarctica” will be held at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation this summer. Over these 70 years, Yanmar’s technology has played an important role. As we continue working together, I hope we can explore ways to achieve sustainable forms of observation and contribute to a better future for our planet.

*The titles and positions of the interviewees are as of the date of the interview.