Meridian Energy is constructing a small wind farm on Ross Island, Antarctica, to supply electricity to Scott Base and McMurdo Station. The wind farm will have three 0.33 megawatt Enercon E33 turbines.
Work on site will begun November 2008, with the laying of foundations. The lack of water and the sub-zero temperatures makes it difficult to build the steel reinforced concrete foundations used in warmer climates.
Instead, each turbine will have a pre-cast foundation. Each turbine foundation comprises eight 13-tonne pre-cast concrete foundation blocks arranged in a circle in a pit then backfilled and frozen in so the tops of the blocks are nearly flush with the ground. An eight-legged steel spider will be then bolted to the concrete blocks. The tower will be attached to the top of the steel foundation.
Once the foundations have been laid, engineers will install the electrical link to both bases. Work will continue in the summer of 2009/10 with the construction and commissioning of the turbines. Because of the extreme weather conditions and lack of daylight during winter, construction can only take place in summer.
Output from the existing diesel generators will balance the generation from the wind turbines. The wind farm is expected to reduce the two bases' diesel consumption by approximately 463,000 litres of fuel each year - initially reducing fuel consumption by 11%. The project will result in a reduction of greenhouse gas production from both bases of 1,242 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. It will also reduce the costs and risks associated with transporting fuel to Antarctica.
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