Postcards: $40 Billion Potential in the “World’s Basement”

The European Union, the United States, and even China are turning their attention away from the Arctic Circle and revisiting the seventh continent's alternative energy potential. ͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­ Forwarded this email? [Subscribe here]() for more You are a free subscriber to Postcards from the Florida Republic. To upgrade to paid and receive the daily Republic Risk Letter, [subscribe here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Postcards: $40 Billion Potential in the “World’s Basement”]( The European Union, the United States, and even China are turning their attention away from the Arctic Circle and revisiting the seventh continent's alternative energy potential. [Garrett {NAME}]( Apr 1   [READ IN APP](   How’d you get here? Dear Fellow Expat: As we know, the Green Transition continues to face renewed struggles. The cost of electricity is rising. So, too, are the vital minerals central to the transition’s potential.  Rumors have emerged behind the scenes that the Green Energy Initiative will gain some new impetus and spread along a new frontier.  Rather than attempt to harness renewable energy across Europe or break ice across the Arctic Circle for rare earth metals, they’re heading south.  We’ve written about the potential of the vast resources on the “[Roof of the World]( and why nations are racing to secure mineral rights. But what about “the basement” of the world? In the spirit of successful ventures across the Australian Outback, nations are turning to a place with six months of sunshine, six of darkness, constant wind, geothermal potential, and tidal energy. There’s a new, potentially lucrative opportunity in… Antarctica. Welcome to the Land of Penguins. [Upgrade to paid]( Power Potential In Antarctica The energy adage in the uninhabited continent goes like this… “It’s cold outside, but we’ve got sun.” The central U.S. research station on the continent is called McMurdo Station. The average temperature is zero degrees Fahrenheit, although it tanks much lower in the darker months. The Washington Post notes [that wind turbines at the station]( “can provide enough electricity to [power 100 American homes]( and avoid burning [over 120,000 gallons of diesel fuel]( each year.” Meanwhile, [the Princess Elisabeth Station]( Antarctica operates solely on renewable energy sources in one of the planet's most challenging environments. This station combines wind turbines and solar panels to achieve complete energy self-sufficiency. Its advanced energy management system ensures efficient use and storage of energy, with surplus power stored in batteries for uninterrupted operation. The station also features a highly efficient micro smart grid, which utilizes industrial-grade technology for optimal energy control and distribution. This is all a good start. But if countries want to achieve a real impact on climate change, scientists must ramp up the necessary solar and wind power potential in this uninhabited land. Or they need to find new forms of energy. One scientist appears to have discovered a new energy source that could make Antarctica a hub of alternative power. It’s a Cold, Rich World Down There Roughly 2% of Antarctica is ice-free. However, the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (signed in 1991) bans Antarctic mining. This prevents any nation from using the land and minerals for commercial purposes. It seems all but inevitable that the Green Transition will require a change in this international law. After all, it will be hard to keep China from breaking protocol, given its inability to expand its [presence in the Arctic Circle to the north](. A nation of China’s size will covet the vast amounts of silver, copper, gold, nickel, platinum, iron ore, chromium, cobalt, molybdenum, zinc, manganese lead, titanium, nickel, and uranium.  [Princeton University has published a 122-page]( comprehensive report on the continent's untapped minerals, including geographic surveys that have revealed miles of mining potential under the ice.  If China doesn’t move south, its dominance over rare earth materials could quickly fade by the middle of the century.  In addition, there is ample evidence of petroleum reserves off the Filchner Ice Shelf, Ronne Ice Shelf, Amery Ice Shelf, Ross Sea and Ice Shelf, and the Weddell Sea.  China is already moving south as one of the nations without a border to the Arctic. “Land” and “minerals” are key terms in this Treaty. And we all know that China loves to circumvent language in agreements. So what if one company partnering with the Chinese has discovered a way around this terminology? And what if it’s done heavily in the sea and on the ice? It turns out that Antarctica also has one additional alternative energy source that no other place on earth (barring certain parts of Southern Africa and South America) has, and that can be scaled in an innovative way to accelerate battery innovation. Polar Prospects Dr. Eduard Sillu at the National University of Tierra del Fuego in Argentina believes that new forms of alternative energy can help launch major battery projects. A Chinese venture capital firm recently provided his company with $15 million in start-up capital for a project sitting a few hundred miles from Antarctica in Ushuaia, Argentina, in the Tierra Del Fuego province.  In a daring leap toward sustainable solutions in Antarctica, Penguin Power Partners (PPP) is tapping into a new form of alternative energy: The kinetic actions of penguins. Leveraging the untapped kinetic energy of penguins from Argentinean and Antarctic shores, PPP promises to bring clean, renewable, and wildlife-friendly power to communities worldwide - starting with the South American battery industry (Argentina and Chile will start). Harnessing the power of hundreds of thousands of penguins, PPP has developed state-of-the-art "Paddle Platforms" that are installed in penguin habitats across the frozen tundra. These platforms capture the energy generated by the penguins' natural movements, particularly their vigorous paddling while swimming and waddling over distances on land.  This could be one of the most remarkable “green” energy breakthroughs in a region with a population of 20 million penguins.  In addition, the math adds up. As you can see in the chart below, the Empire Penguin swims at nearly 13 times the pace of the average adult male.  Eat your heart out, Michael Phelps.  The energy—transferred through the water—is then converted into electricity through a sophisticated process that ensures the birds' safety and captures it in buoys. The energy is then transferred into renewable batteries, which power smaller devices like flashlights and cell phones. Sillu suggests that the penguins will harness enough power over the next ten years to recharge the batteries of 274.5 million cell phones at least 11,000 times each. Those numbers are significant. Plus, there is ample opportunity to scale to industrial batteries needed to power further research and development projects across the continent. Back-of-the-envelope figures suggest that, based on aggressive growth rates and renewable demand, the company will have a $40 billion market cap by 2032. Artist’s Rendition - S-1, Penguin Power Partners Sillu says the innovative technology is a marvel of renewable energy engineering and a beacon of environmental and animal welfare. It's a win-win situation where penguins contribute to the planet's health while enjoying their playful activities. Sillu is also working with a New York underwriter for an IPO for his company next year. They’ve scheduled it tentatively for April 1, 2025… April 1… next year… You know… as April Fool’s Day? Stay positive, Garrett {NAME} Disclaimer Nothing in this email should be considered personalized financial advice. 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