Russia plans to build a carbon-zero outpost in the Arctic within the next few years in order to demonstrate autonomous renewable power and help remote polar communities adapt to rapid climate change.

Called "Snowflake," the modular station will be constructed in the Land of Hope, a region that lies at the northern edge of the Ural mountain range and the base of Yamal Peninsula.

The project is spearheaded by the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), but is intended to be a collaboration between many other Russian and international partners. The team is shooting to have at least the central module, a large domed structure, constructed by 2022, at an initial cost of about 12 million euros (13.3 million USD).