Environment

Southernmost wind farm

Today’s Geo Quiz is wind powered. We’re looking for the world’s southernmost wind farm today. It’s located on Crater Hill, on Antarctica’s Ross Island. The three wind turbines can generate up to one megawatt of electricity. That’s enough to help power two nearby scientific research stations. We want you to name those stations.

One’s operated by the US, the other by New Zealand. It’s a remote setting, but there’s a great view.

“When you get a blue sky day down there it’s usually a cutting wind into the side of your face. Ross shelf turn around you can see Mt Erebus which is the southern most active volcano in the world and its usually venting out some steam and it’s certainly an awe inspiring sight.”

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Geo Answer:
We’re looking for the names of two scientific research stations that are getting power from the world’s southernmost wind farm. New Zealander Scott Bennett has the answer:

“The wind farm is built on Ross Island which is on the edge of Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. And its home to New Zealand’s Scott Base and the US McMurdo Station.”

Bennett is project manager for Meridian Energy, the New Zealand company that built the wind farm. The massive wind turbines were shipped all the way from Germany. Engineers erected them on special platforms atop the snow and ice in a windy spot called Crater Hill.

“We average 7.9 meters per second or what we regard as very good wind conditions..basically when its not blowing down there its about to blow.”

The turbines can generate about a megawatt of power. Bennett says that’s enough to reduce diesel use there by 122,000 gallons a year. He says there were lots of technical challenges on the project, but he’s glad to have been a part of it.

“You’re working in a pristine environment, which has got an international importance and its key to understanding sort of the environmental issues of today so certainly pleased to have been involved with it.”

The three wind turbines are now up and spinning and generating power for New Zealand’s Scott Base and McMurdo Station.

By the way, it’s close to zero there today and blowing snow.

Ross Island Wind Farm Webcam