Polarstern Reaches North Pole with the LFC Biodigester Onboard

[By: Power Knot Ocean]

The German research vessel RV Polarstern has again reached the North Pole today. It left Tromsø, Norway on 03 August 2023 with a crew of 44 and 53 scientists. The team is evaluating the extent of the sea ice as well as continuing its evaluation of the ecosystem of the central Arctic Ocean and how it is being impacted by climate change.

In 2019, Polarstern had spent 389 days drifting across ice to conduct a thorough investigation into how climate change has impacted the Earth and what the future of the Arctic Ocean may look like in upcoming years. Initial findings from this trip revealed that the damage to the ozone layer was more extensive than previously thought, and scientists provided data-backed insights with recommendations on how to reverse the impact. 

Power Knot Ocean is proud to be the supplier of the LFC biodigester to this vessel. The LFC biodigester is the vessel’s main tool for managing their food waste and allows the vessel to spend many months at sea without having to save the waste until the ship returns to shore. 

The LFC biodigester uses a natural process called aerobic digestion in which microorganisms break the food waste into grey water. These machines are an environmentally friendly solution to reduce the carbon footprint and waste generated on lengthy trips.

“We congratulate the team on their success and are grateful for the work all the people on board are doing to help save our planet,” said Iain Milnes, President of Power Knot. “This research project will provide information to help humanity make critical environmental decisions in the near future.”