August 2004

E-Mail This Article Printer-Friendly Version Photo Terje .S Knudsen/Hydro Norway’s petroleum and energy minister Thorhild Widvey addresses the media and visitors on Utsira before pressing the button, on column to her left, to start the wind turbine, in background, that will make the tiny island independent of mainland grid power.

UTSIRA, NORWAY – Utsira, a tiny speck of an island off the southwestern coast of Norway, became one the first communities world wide last month to become energy independent via renewable energy from wind-generated hydrogen.

A brass band provided the appropriate background sounds for the launch ceremonies July 1 in which Norway’s recently appointed petroleum and energy minister Thorhild Widvey did the honors by pressing the starter button for one of the two 600 kW wind turbines on this windswept island 18 kilometers (11 miles) off Norway’s shore providing energy for ten households on the 230-resident island.

“This project will demonstrate how a local community can produce its own renewable energy,” said Widvey. It “represents one of the most innovative energy projects in the world.”

The system provides the baseline load for the ten homes, but a backup system has been set up in case of any problems with this pilot installation, a Hydro spokeswoman told H&FCL by e-mail.

One wind turbine is enough to cover the needs of the ten homes and to generate hydrogen. The other wind generator feeds directly into the island’s grid, benefitting the other islanders as well. In fact, Hydro says Utsira will become a net exporter of energy because the electricity system of the 6.15 sq. km (2.37 sq. mile) island is connected to the mainland grid which used to supply Utsira’s electrical energy prior to the new wind/hydrogen setup.

The two towering wind turbines were produced by Germany’s Enercon company (H&FCL May 04, Hannover report). Hydro, the Norwegian aluminum and energy company, formerly known as Norsk Hydro, is contributing the electrolyzer, and a Danish company, IRD Fuel Cell A/S, is providing a PEM fuel cell.

The 40 million kroner (about $6 million) project is scheduled to run for 2-3 years, a Hydro executive said in Hannover. The project was underwritten with major funding by the Research Council of Norway and the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority as a global showcase for renewable energy. Contact: Hydro, Anne Ekern (media), +47/22/53 20 31, e-mail Anne.Ekern@hydro.com.