The coolest wind farm in the world
What next?
"We are very pleased with the way Stage One has gone," Mr Bennett says.
"We would like to investigate the potential for Stage Two, which we believe could offset power consumption on the island by 40 per cent. But first we need to assess how Stage One performs over the coming year."
Mr Bennett says by this time next year the project team expects the Crater Hill facility to have proven its worth to the United States and New Zealand programmes, justifying Stage Two investigations. However, with the Crater Hill site now fully utilised, the team hopes another suitable site is waiting to be discovered somewhere nearby.
Meridian Energy is New Zealand's largest state-owned electricity generator, and generates its electricity solely from renewable sources. Although mostly known for its wind and hydro energy innovation, Meridian is developing experience in other areas of the sustainable energy sector – such as solar – with construction of a five-megawatt plant in California.
"We are keenly aware of the potential in Antarctica for solar energy utilisation. Although there is little or no sun at Ross Island over the winter months, the base is bathed in 24-hour daylight during the summer months, which aligns with the load demand when the majority of science researchers are there," Mr Bennett says.
The plan is to monitor and progress the wind energy project some way further, before exploring the potential for other types of energy capture. "It's all a matter of focus and timing. We know we can do it, we just need to take it one step at a time."
Writer: Karen Wrigglesworth
