OREANDA-NEWS. March 09, 2011. Five CLP IT and engineering professionals, dubbed COOL Captains, will be bringing their indigenously-designed solar-powered energy device, embedded in a sledge, to Antarctica to test its performance under extreme weather conditions and its endurance in the rugged, icy Antarctic landscape, reported the press-centre of CLP.

Aimed at supporting polar explorer Sir Robert Swan's fossil-fuel-free journey between the South Pole and the Antarctic Coast in 2012, the solar-powered equipment is expected to serve as a mobile mini power station and provide energy for heating, cooking and transforming ice into water. The equipment in its prototype form comprises flexible thin-film solar PV panel and four batteries for power storage. It will be placed onto a customised sledge in Argentina to form a complete system.

In addition, the COOL Captains will retrofit the telecommunication system at the 2041 E-Base so that weather data can be collected and transmitted to the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) for analysis. The meteorological data will enable HKUST to assess the rate of climate change in Antarctica and project its impact on the environment.

These activities mark the second year of CLP's Project COOL, which continues to offer an exceptional opportunity for employees to apply their professional skills to a meaningful cause. The project is in line with the company's Climate Vision 2050, which commits CLP to reducing the carbon intensity of its generation portfolio by 75% by 2050. As interim targets, CLP is committed to having non-carbon-emitting generation accounting for 30% of its generation by 2020, of which 20% will be from renewable energy sources.

This year's COOL Captains are professionals from the company's operations across the Asia-Pacific region. They were selected among 30 employees who volunteered to participate in the expedition.

For details about CLP's COOL Captains and their Antarctic experience, please visit their blogs at https://www.clpgroup.com/projectcool/en/index.html

Project COOL is a carbon-zero expedition. All CO2 emissions generated during the three-week expedition will be offset by accredited energy efficiency projects offered by TRUenergy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the CLP Group.

For over 100 years, CLP has powered Asia’s dynamic and spectacular growth. We have become an integral part of the communities we serve with millions depending on us for energy. Today, we operate in Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland, Australia, India, Southeast Asia and Taiwan. Where we operate we become part of the social and economic fabric of the local communities, working with them to achieve sustainable growth.