The coolest wind farm in the world
Synchronising the electricity supply
The Ross Island electricity network connecting Scott Base and McMurdo Station is the first on the continent to connect two research stations. Innovative thinking was needed to connect them as Scott Base operates with a 50 hertz system frequency, whereas the McMurdo Station operates at 60 hertz.
As the majority of the wind farm energy feeds into McMurdo Station, the Crater Hill turbines generate at 60 hertz, and the connection to Scott Base is achieved via a static 60/50 hertz frequency converter housed in a converted shipping container adjacent to the Scott Base powerhouse.
The network also contains a flywheel system consisting of a three-tonne mass spinning up to 3,600 revolutions per minute which can quickly provide or absorb up to 500 kilowatts of electricity for 30 seconds. This device keeps the system stable when sudden wind changes vary the turbines' output faster than the response time of the diesel generator governors, by providing the energy to make up the load difference.
