Ross Island wind farm formally opened at Auckland ceremony

Hi Folks,



A great day on Saturday even though the planned attendance of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was cancelled as she had to focus her attention on the devatation in Haiti, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and the new US ambassador David Huebner stepped up to do the honours and flick Meridian’s giant light-switch to declare the Ross Island Wind Farm officially open.

There were some notable New Zealanders among the guests, including Sitr Edmund Hillary's widow Lady June Hillary and son Peter Hillary, and James, son of the late Sir Peter Blake – complete with red socks.

The highlight of the event was a televised live cross to the ice which enabled the Auckland audience to see the turbines spinning on a rare fine Antarctica day.

The three turbines together have a capacity of just under a megawatt, and enable a reduction of nearly half a million litres in diesel fuel which would otherwise have to be used to provide electricity to Scott Base and the nearby US base at McMurdo.

The ceremony marked the high point of a highly successful project, which has reinforced Meridian’s reputation as a company with a special expertise in constructing renewable energy projects in challenging – and sensitive – environments.


Scott