Radio astronomers, engineers and policymakers from the European Parliament and the European Commission discussed how radio telescopes in remote areas can be supplied with green energy at an African European Radio Astronomy Platform (AERAP) workshop in Brussels this week.
This is a crucial question for the development of major radio astronomy projects like the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project in Africa. The workshop explored the possibilities for African and European researchers to work together on renewable energy solutions for radio astronomy projects, as well as addressed potential problems that have to be solved to meet the energy requirements for radio telescopes.
"The main challenges for renewable energy projects in the field of radio astronomy are 24/7 reliable power supply, the mitigation of radio frequency interference from the power plants, and control of development and maintenance costs," said Domingos Barbosa of the Radio Astronomy Group, Institute de Telecomunicacoes, based in Aveiro, Portugal.
The aim was also to facilitate networking between potential partners, while paving the way for African-European consortiums of researchers working in this area. The use of renewable energy to supply electricity to remote areas not only benefits radio astronomy projects, but also improves the lives of local community members through employment opportunities, energy access, Internet access and better water treatment.
"Renewable energies present clear opportunities for radio astronomy, but there are also challenges that need to be overcome; nonetheless, this is possible with the right partners," said Wikus Kruger, of the EU Energy Initiative Partnership Dialogue Facility.
Britta Thomsen, member of the European Parliament, was also in attendance and acknowledged the need to focus on the outcomes and the deliverables discussed at the workshop, as well as looking at the opportunities for African-European co-operation. "I'm very keen that the outcomes will inform me and my colleagues' decisions in future," she said.
The workshop is one in a series of planned AERAP events, responding to the call of the EU to strengthen African-European research partnerships in the field of radio astronomy.
Share