The coolest wind farm in the world
German turbines – with a twist
The project team chose the three-bladed German-made E-33 Enercon turbines, with a slightly higher specification than standard models, which can generate up to 330 kilowatts each, and have 33-metre diameter blades with pitch control.
"Ours are not the first industrial scale wind turbines on the ice," Mr Bennett says. "The Australian research station, Mawson, has had two Enercon E-30 turbines successfully in operation since 2003, and we have learnt some valuable lessons from their experience. For example, our turbines have improved sealing brushes in the nacelle to keep out the spindrift, which in a storm can quickly fill the cavity with snow through any small gaps."
Enercon turbines were also selected because all their components – aside from the blades – could fit into standard 12-metre shipping containers, an essential logistics requirement for transportation. The blades were transported in special frames.
The turbines have a direct drive generator, which eliminates gearbox and oil issues in low temperatures. The flexible power electronic supply conversion in conjunction with the control system makes the turbines ideal for wind-diesel integration. Further, they only require servicing once each year.
