Nantong to build polar, extreme environment simulation facility

Launch ceremony of the polar and extreme environment simulation experiment facility project in Nantong. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

At the opening ceremony of the 2024 Nantong Science and Technology Industry Collaborative Innovation Season held on Nov 16, the polar and extreme environment simulation experiment facility project was officially launched.

The project is jointly promoted by the Jiangsu Development and Reform Commission, Southeast University, and the Nantong municipal people's government.

The facility simulates the complex and harsh natural conditions typical of polar regions, providing basic environmental conditions for research on fundamental scientific issues and engineering support technologies in polar and extreme environmental conditions.

"Our goal is to build the world's largest single-unit polar and extreme environment simulation facility to serve Antarctic scientific research missions for both China and the world," said Wei Haikun, project leader of the major scientific facility.

Previously, there was no simulated environment, domestically or internationally, that could meet the research and testing needs of instruments and equipment for Antarctic scientific expeditions, according to Wei.

He noted that the project aims to create a "mini Antarctica" in Nantong to provide a testing environment for various instruments and equipment as well as personnel involved in Antarctic operations, thereby accelerating the progress of polar scientific research projects.

Nantong has unique advantages when it comes to constructing such a facility. Wei mentioned that extreme environment simulation requires a significant amount of cooling energy, and Nantong's coastal areas, especially the Yangkou Port's liquefied natural gas terminals, have abundant cooling energy resources that can meet the construction needs of such a large scientific facility.

All parties involved in the project have established a communication mechanism, and the first group of project construction team members has already arrived in Nantong.