Returning to Antarctica 30 years later, electrician Jules Knight swaps generators for silent solar power at historic Port Lockroy.
I first had the privilege of experiencing Antarctica just over 30 years ago. At the tender age of 24, I packed my warm socks, a woolly hat and a sense of adventure before leaving home to start work as the base electrician at Rothera Scientific Research Station with the British Antarctic Survey.
Three years earlier, I watched Michael Palin travel the world on his TV series Pole to Pole. His journey through Antarctica fascinated me. I remember thinking: I’d love to go there one day. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that “one day” would become nearly three years of living on the continent – three summers and two Antarctic winters – without returning home.
Back then, life on base looked quite different. We were issued with moleskin trousers and itchy tartan shirts made from something suspiciously hairy. Even recruitment felt like a throwback to another era. The job advert I answered specified applicants must be “21–35, single, male and physically fit.” Thankfully, times have changed. The winter of 1995 was the last with an all-male complement. Today, women play vital roles in Antarctic operations, from senior leadership and technical trades to pilots and specialist scientists who help us understand our changing planet.
Attitudes aren’t the only thing that have evolved. Technology has transformed the way bases survive in one of the most hostile environments on Earth. When I first arrived, bases relied on petrol-hungry generators. Fuel had to be shipped across the world, stored in vast tanks and burned continuously to keep lights on and heating running.
Thirty years later, I’ve returned to Antarctica – once again as an electrician – but this time my work takes me to historic Base A, Port Lockroy, where Antarctic science and exploration began in 1944. Instead of a modern scientific base, I’ll be walking in the footsteps of pioneers.
Here, the focus is on clean, modern technology. In 2018, we installed new, higher-efficiency solar panels, capable of producing up to 330 Watts of power. This year, we have installed a replacement bank of sealed deep-cycle lead-acid batteries, generously donated by Rolls Battery Engineering. Together, the system enables Port Lockroy to silently generate, store and run on renewable energy without fuel or noise. It’s a perfect meeting of old-world heritage and new-world sustainability. In this case, we’ve simply replaced the pre-existing bank of Rolls AGM batteries (installed in 2018) with another set, as they have worked well in Antarctic conditions.
For decades, deep-cycle lead-acid batteries have been the go-to for cost-effective and reliable energy storage. It’s a simple battery technology that’s still used in a variety of applications and industries around the world. They are also readily available when it’s finally time to replace the bank, making the process of swapping out the bank straightforward.
To provide year-round power for the facility and weather station, the system upgrade incorporates eight 12-volt AGM batteries (S12-240AGM-RE) configured in a 48V string, delivering 215Ah – just over 10 kWh – of total energy storage capacity. While lightweight lithium alternatives are available, sealed lead-acid AGM batteries are non-hazardous and spill-proof, making them easier to transport and far more suitable for remote deployment. They also operate reliably across a much wider temperature range. For these reasons, we have chosen to continue using a proven technology.
When properly sized and charged, AGM batteries maintain dependable performance even as temperatures drop. By contrast, lithium batteries in this environment would require installation in a climate-controlled or heated enclosure to allow safe charging above 0°C, significantly increasing both energy consumption and overall system cost.
The best part is our old bank of AGM batteries are off to be recycled, where the lead plates are likely to become batteries again in the future.
So here I am, three decades on, still an electrician in Antarctica, still following in Michael Palin’s footsteps, still amazed by this extraordinary place. A little older, a little wiser and, as the title suggests, with a little less hair.
Rolls Battery Engineering, with over 65 years of experience, has been building dependable deep-cycle lead-acid batteries for use in some of the most remote and challenging environments on the planet. From small off-grid systems to microgrid applications delivering reliable power to schools, hospitals, and entire communities, their premium quality lead-acid and lithium batteries are engineered to work reliably and safely, delivering long service life wherever they’re needed, whether it’s a storm-swept coastline, a mountain cabin or, in our case, the far reaches of Antarctica.
If you love a place, protect it
UKAHT is committed to making Antarctica, its heritage and its stories accessible to everyone.
Eighty years in Antarctica have left their mark on this beloved site. Now, Port Lockroy urgently needs restoration to protect its future. Please donate today.
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follow a unique colony at the end of the world
Your adoption directly supports on-site colony monitoring and conservation at Port Lockroy. Funds go directly to paying for a wildlife monitor to travel to Antarctica and study the penguin colony at Port Lockroy for the austral summer.
