Making an island self-sufficient
with renewable energy
Utsira – the island
• 20 km off the southwest coast of Norway
• 6.2 km2, 235 inhabitants
• Now: 22 kV, 1 MW sea cable - historically: diesel engine
• Ambition to exploit wind resources and become self-sufficient with renewable
energy
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Robin Kirkhus – head of the local administration at Utsira in 1999
Christopher kloed – head of Norsk Hydro Electrolyser in 1999
WhyUtsira?
Very good wind conditions, small but
variable load
…and a very supporting community
Program execution, timeline & partners
¤ Me and my friends visit to Utsira August 1999
¤ Internal (Norsk Hydro) ”struggle” to obtain support - Year 2000 – 2001
¤ Feasability study initiated
Late 2001
¤ Project qick off
fall 2002
¤ Plant inauguration
July 2004
The intention was to operate the plant for two years- it was operated almost
6 years
Partners:
Project partners: Norsk Hydro, Enercon, Enova, NFR, and SFT
As a result of the Norsk Hydro project
activities local initiatives resulted in the
erection of modern hotelfacilities on
the island
The Utsira plant
Main components installed at the Utsira wind/hydrogen demonstration plant.
¤ Wind turbine 600 kW, Enercon, Germany
¤ Hydrogen engine 55 kW, Continental, Belgium
¤ Fuel cell 10 kW, IRD, Denmark
¤ Electrolyzer 10 Nm3/h, 50 kW, Hydrogen
Technologies,
Norway
¤ Hydrogen compressor, 5.5 kW, Andreas Hofer,
Germany
¤ Hydrogen storage 2400 Nm3,
200 bar (12 m3)
Martin Larsson,
Sweden
¤ Flywheel 5 kWh, Enercon
Battery 50 kWh, Enercon
Master synchronous machine, 100kVA Enercon
Utsira – main challenges
• Grid quality
• Efficiency
• Operational flexibility
• Remote operation
• Climate
• Power demand
• Fuel cell integration
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Utsira – main achievements
• More than two years in Stand
Alone mode
• Availability – close to 100%
• Power quality – very good
• Customers satisfied – no
complaints
• No accidents
• Many visitors
• Contribution to local activity
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Operational data (10-min averages) from
Utsira, 1–30 March 2007.
Power produced by wind generator versus power supplied to users (mini-grid).
Operational data (10-min averages) from
Utsira, 1–30 March 2007.
Power from hydrogen engine generator versus power required by water
electrolyzer).