The coolest wind farm in the world
Proof-of-concept project
The steel foundations were prefabricated by Lyttleton Engineering he wind turbine blades were transported to McMurdo Station in February 2009, ready for the 2009/2010 summer season.
Photo by Scott Bennett.
A 2005 University of Canterbury energy review of Scott Base provided the catalyst for Meridian to be invited to assess sites on Ross Island. Crater Hill was identified as an ideal potential site, and a monitoring mast was erected in February that year.
By mid-2006, good wind data justified holding discussions with the United States National Science Foundation (NSF), which had been independently investigating wind energy supply for McMurdo Station. In August 2007, a proposal to NSF and Antarctica New Zealand resulted in approval for the Ross Island proof-of-concept project.
Stage One is on target for completion by the end of the summer working season. The three turbines were all erected and commissioned before Christmas, and the team has since focussed on completing optimisation and fine-tuning by the end of the season.
"Stage One will enable the Scott Base diesel generators to be entirely switched off," Mr Bennett says.
"When the wind is blowing, Scott Base will receive electricity directly from the wind farm, with the extra generation going to the McMurdo station. On still days, Scott Base will be supplied by McMurdo's diesel generators."
