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Ross Island Microgrid

Current status, energy mix, organizations, suppliers, equipment, controls, reported specifications, and project updates—with source-level citations.

CoverageDetailed public record
Named organizations9
System facts19
Sources reviewed14
Evidence reviewed2026-07-20

Ross Island is the joint New Zealand-United States Antarctic microgrid linking Scott Base's 50 Hz system and McMurdo Station's 60 Hz system. Commissioned in 2010, it integrates three 330 kW Enercon E-33 turbines (990 kW total), diesel generation, an ABB 500 kW PowerStore flywheel, Microgrid Plus controls, and a frequency converter. The PowerStore is now inoperable, reducing usable wind penetration. A replacement program will install three 1 MW EWT DW54X extreme-cold-climate turbines and a new BESS, but transport damage and EWT's 2025 bankruptcy delayed field work; the next installation phase is now scheduled for late 2026.

Research status
The three original turbines remain the current wind plant and the official redevelopment site describes them as supplying both bases, although the failed flywheel has lowered renewable penetration. One replacement foundation was completed in the 2024/25 Antarctic season. Two replacement blade sets were damaged in sea transport and EWT entered administration/bankruptcy in March 2025. In February 2026 the replacement contractor reported that decommissioning the old turbines and installing/commissioning the first new turbine would begin at the end of 2026. The repower and BESS were therefore not commissioned as of July 2026.
Historical classification
Remote
Reported capacity
2,055 kW
Coordinates
-77.52474, 166.96031
Evidence note: “Every company” cannot be proven from public material alone. This page lists every organization found in the recovered record and reviewed sources, preserves unknown roles, and explicitly marks undisclosed controller or equipment details.
Report missing evidenceResearch methodology

Project delivery

Who was involved in Ross Island Microgrid?

9 publicly identified organizations. Where a recovered source named a participant without explaining its work, the role remains explicitly unspecified.

Organization

ABB

Publicly named participant; role not specified in the recovered record [1]

Organization

ABB / Powercorp

Original hybrid-system integrator and supplier of PowerStore flywheel support, Microgrid Plus controls and 50/60 Hz interconnection equipment. [8][3]

Organization

Antarctica New Zealand / New Zealand Antarctic Institute

New Zealand program owner, project authority, current redevelopment lead, and Scott Base operator. [2][3][4]

Organization

Business in Wind

Replacement contractor preparing decommissioning and installation work after the EWT disruption; reported the next field phase for late 2026. [12]

Organization

Emergya Wind Technologies (EWT)

Contracted supplier of the three replacement DW54X-1MW turbines; entered administration and ceased trading in 2025, contributing to delivery risk. [9][11]

Organization

Enercon

Manufacturer of the three original E-33 turbines. [7][13]

Organization

Entura

Feasibility, options and preliminary-design consultant for modernizing SCADA, balance of plant, grid support and storage. [10]

Organization

Meridian Energy

Original wind-farm developer, builder and operating/technical partner with Antarctica New Zealand. [6][13]

Organization

United States Antarctic Program / National Science Foundation

McMurdo Station partner and co-user of the linked Ross Island grid and wind generation. [2][8]

System evidence

Energy mix, capacity, and specifications

Values can describe different project phases, generation sources, storage systems, or other components. Source citations are attached to each figure so discrepancies remain visible.

KW Wind
1000 [1]
KW Gas/Diesel
1055 [1]
Original wind farm
Three 330 kW Enercon E-33 turbines, 990 kW total, on Crater Hill between Scott Base and McMurdo. Some ABB materials round the turbines to 3 x 330 kW and the project to 1 MW. [2][7][13]
Original grid support
ABB PowerStore flywheel rated 500 kW, Microgrid Plus control and a frequency converter linking the 50 Hz and 60 Hz station networks. The flywheel has failed and is no longer operational. [8][4]
Diesel integration reference
ABB's project case describes nine 125 kW diesel units (1.125 MW) in the integrated system. This is an ABB reference configuration and should not be treated as a complete, timeless inventory of all generator assets at both large stations. [8]
Original impact
Design/launch estimates were approximately 11% of combined station power, 463,000 litres/year of diesel avoided, and 1,242-1,243 tonnes/year of CO2 avoided. A later official environmental document uses approximately 433,000 litres/year when working, so the fuel-saving figure varies by source and period. [6][4][7]
Replacement wind farm
Three EWT DW54X extreme-cold-climate turbines rated 1 MW each at 40 m hub height, 3 MW total. Antarctica New Zealand says one new turbine can generate nearly as much energy as all three current turbines combined. [9][2][12]
Replacement battery
A new BESS will replace the flywheel and store excess wind energy. Options work considered systems up to 10 MWh and wind options around 3-4 MW, but no final public MW/MWh as-built battery rating was found; 10 MWh must not be reported as contracted capacity. [2][10]
Penetration
ABB reported up to 70% instantaneous wind penetration for the original design. The failed PowerStore later lowered renewable penetration; a 33% curtailment level has been quoted from a 2023 COMNAP presentation, but the official environmental filing reviewed only confirms lower penetration without quantifying it. [8][4]

Controls and hardware

Equipment and controller details

Manufacturer and model are shown only when a source names them. Generic descriptions are not converted into guessed product assignments.

01

Original wind turbines

Enercon — E-33

Three cold-climate-modified, three-bladed, pitch-controlled 330 kW turbines with approximately 33 m rotor diameter. [7][14]

02

Flywheel grid support

ABB / Powercorp — PowerStore

500 kW flywheel-based grid stabilizer; now failed because of an unsupported/non-replaceable component and slated for replacement by BESS. [8][3][4]

03

Microgrid control and interconnection

ABB / Powercorp — Microgrid Plus

Coordinates wind and diesel, PowerStore and the 50/60 Hz intertie/frequency converter. A 2019 procurement said the installation was at end of functional life and no longer supportable. [8][3]

04

Replacement wind turbines

Emergya Wind Technologies — DW54X-1MW Extreme Cold Climate

Three 1 MW turbines with 40 m hub height. EWT's bankruptcy required new contracting arrangements, but the February 2026 replacement report still identifies this turbine model for installation. [9][12]

05

Replacement battery

Model not publicly disclosed

Battery energy storage system planned to replace PowerStore. Final supplier, chemistry, PCS/controller models, MW, MWh and duration were not found in public sources reviewed. [2][10]

Technical record

Architecture, performance, and project updates

Concise technical facts, milestones, operating results, and later developments. Dated notes distinguish historical design claims from current evidence.

  • Dual-frequency architecture

    The project dynamically operates Scott Base and McMurdo as one Ross Island microgrid despite their 50 Hz and 60 Hz systems, using a frequency converter and coordinated wind/diesel control. [8][5]

  • Commissioning and design life

    Construction began in 2008, first power arrived in December 2009, and the farm officially opened in January 2010. The original turbines reach the end of their design life around 2030, while supporting balance-of-plant required replacement earlier. [13][5]

  • Current constraint

    The failed flywheel reduces how much variable wind the small diesel grid can accept. The official 2023-2027 environmental filing explicitly says lower wind penetration has resulted in recent years. [4]

  • Repower delay

    During the 2024/25 season the first new foundation was completed. Two blade sets were damaged at sea in January 2025—one beyond economical repair and the other moderately/minor damaged—and EWT failed in March. By February 2026, preparatory field work had occurred and the first removal/installation phase was scheduled for late 2026. [2][11][12]

  • Future-load purpose

    The repower supports Scott Base redevelopment, including electrified heating, and aims at minimum to preserve renewable-energy supply arrangements with McMurdo. Public environmental documents show future demand materially above the old base load but do not justify claiming a finalized renewable fraction before commissioning. [2][4]

Provenance

14 sources

Primary owner, government, university, supplier, and engineering sources are preferred. Archived references preserve claims whose original pages moved or disappeared.

  1. [1]
    Recovered Microgrid Projects record

    Internet Archive · Archived source · captured 2020-07-06

  2. [2]
    Ross Island Wind Energy System

    Antarctica New Zealand / Scott Base Redevelopment · Primary source

  3. [3]
    Ross Island Wind Energy SCADA and Balance of Plant Modernisation RFP

    New Zealand Government Electronic Tenders Service / Antarctica New Zealand · Primary source

  4. [4]
    Antarctica New Zealand Initial Environmental Evaluation 2023-2027

    Antarctica New Zealand / Antarctic Treaty Secretariat · Primary source

  5. [5]
    Scott Base Development Combined Proactive Release

    New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade · Primary source

  6. [6]
    Antarctic Ross Island Wind Farm on Track - MOU Media Material

    Antarctica New Zealand / Meridian Energy (archived media material) · Archived source

  7. [7]
    Ross Island Wind Energy Project Fact Sheet

    Antarctica New Zealand / Meridian Energy (archived media material) · Archived source

  8. [8]
  9. [9]
  10. [10]
  11. [11]
  12. [12]
    Business in Wind Prepares Turbine Replacement at Scott Base, Antarctica

    Windtech International / Business in Wind · Secondary research

  13. [13]
    The Ross Island Wind Farm Project, Antarctica

    Power Technology · Secondary research

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