Ice cellars preservation technologies to ensure sustainable development of northern settlements

Abstract

Ice cellars are a traditional way of long-term storage of meat and fish near the places of their commercial production in the Arctic during warm season. Due to the degradation of permafrost, these structures are in a state of disrepair everywhere. Using the example of the Chukchi national village of Lorino, where traditional hunting of sea animals is preserved, we have considered options for solving the problem of preserving the caught meat. Economic assessments show that the use of a permafrost storage facility is reasonable for storing more than 100 tons of products; for smaller volumes, it makes sense to switch to refrigeration containers powered by renewable energy sources. Selling excess energy and heat from a chiller can generate significant revenue. Especially if this energy is used to create the maximum benefit under the given conditions, e.g. in vegetable growing.