H2OME

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Banking the wind on the Chatham Islands

The Chatham Islands, Rēkohu, lie hundreds of kilometres east of the mainland with their own local power supply. This page looks at where hydrogen storage fed by wind could fit there.

Wind is abundant, fuel is not

The islands are exposed to strong, frequent wind, while fuel arrives by ship over a long sea route. That combination is where storing wind power as hydrogen makes the most sense. A turbine feeding the electrolyser can bank surplus at 30 bar or less, and that store keeps for weeks without losing charge, carrying a property through calm spells.

What it would keep running

  • Lodge kitchen and hot water
  • Homestead workshop tools
  • Small chillers and freezers
  • Water pumps
  • Satellite internet and phones

Farms, lodges and fish factories

Island businesses include sheep and beef farms, accommodation, cafes and seafood processing. A 15 kW system suits a lodge, a homestead with a workshop, or the office and chillers of a small operation. Seafood processing plants with blast freezers and large cool stores draw far more than 15 kW and would need a larger, multi-unit setup sized in the pilot, or may not be a fit.

Being honest about that matters on islands where people already know their power is precious and every investment has to be shipped in and earn its keep over many years. Overselling a system that then cannot carry the load would cost far more there than on the mainland, where help is a short drive away.

How it works →
The H2OME loop: an electrolyser splits water into hydrogen, the hydrogen is stored in a tank for weeks, a fuel cell turns it into electricity for your home, and the water returns to the loop.

Efficiency and the cost of shipping

Round trip efficiency is 30% or less, so a turbine must produce several times what the business draws from the store. On an island with a strong wind resource, that may be achievable. Against that sits the cost and risk of shipping diesel. The pilot would measure wind at each site before sizing. It is in development, not available yet.

Questions

Can it run a seafood factory?

Not a factory with blast freezers and big cool stores. Those draw far more than 15 kW. A larger, multi-unit setup sized in the pilot might help with parts of the load, or it may not be a fit at all.

Is the wind strong enough?

The islands are known for wind, but each site varies. The pilot would measure the actual resource before installing, since it needs to cover round trip losses of 30% or less with room to spare.

How would parts get there?

Shipping and servicing for remote islands would be planned per pilot site. No engine means no oil changes or fuel deliveries for the system itself, which simplifies routine upkeep between ship visits.

More in community places and remote sites

Elsewhere

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