Ross Island wind farm

The wind farm reduces the carbon footprint of the Antarctic operations, as well as the environmental risks associated with transporting diesel fuel.

 The wind farm has had a big impact. The base’s annual fuel consumption has been cut by approximately 463,000 litres, and greenhouse gas production from both bases has been reduced by 1,242 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The Crater Hill site was selected because it has a high average annual wind speed of 7.9 metres per second, or 28.4 kilometres per hour, at a hight of 39 metres (the height of the wind turbine’s hub). It’s also one of the few ice-free areas on Ross Island.

The conditions for developing and building this wind farm were unique and challenging. We could only work on the site in the summer months when there was daylight and conditions were slightly warmer than in the rest of the year. The project needed world-leading skills and innovative technical solutions – and that’s where Meridian’s expertise came in.

It gets pretty blustery in New Zealand – which is good news for us wind farmers. We have eight wind farms dotted across the country, as well as our solitary Brooklyn wind turbine in Wellington.