Arctic wind turbine project aims to bring more green energy to Nunavut
15-metre turbine designed for Arctic conditions; goal is to share findings with other communities, says project manager
To reduce Nunavut’s dependency on diesel fuel, researchers are trying to use the territory’s gusty weather to develop a wind turbine specifically to generate power for Arctic buildings.
“I think it is a really viable [energy] option,” said Jill Hass, an engineer and clean energy manager with Polar Knowledge Canada, the federal agency that advances polar science and technology.
Hass’s team and two other groups are working out of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station in Cambridge Bay on a 15-metre wind turbine designed to withstand the Arctic’s harsh climate.
Beyond testing its feasibility for Arctic use, she said their mandate includes sharing what they learn with other communities in Nunavut so the overall dependence on diesel can be reduced.
Nunavut’s electricity system is powered by 25 community generating stations, all of which run on diesel fuel, according to Qulliq Energy Corp.’s website.
All that fuel has to be shipped to the communities where it is stored for use throughout the year. In 2018, 55 million litres of diesel fuel was purchased, the website said.
The Polar Knowledge Canada project started in 2019. Hass has been part of its work for the past six months.
In southern Canada, wind turbines can be up to 64 metres tall because turbines need to reach that height to catch the faster wind speeds.
But in Cambridge Bay, the turbine can be shorter because winds blow stronger even at that lower level, Hass said.
“The physical conditions of the Arctic are really conducive to using wind turbines as an alternative energy source,” she said.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, the average wind speed in Cambridge Bay between 1991 and 2020 was 19.3 km/h compared to 11.5 km/h in Ottawa and 12.2 km/h in Edmonton.
To brace for the impact of the strong winds, the Arctic turbine’s blades flex and become shorter to better absorb the pressure.
The turbine model being installed at the research station can generate between 400 and 900 kilowatt hours per month. That type of generation would be enough to provide electricity and heating for one Arctic home, Hass said.
However, she added the goal would not be to provide one 15-metre wind turbine for a home, but to have a couple of them to power a building such as a school or community centre.
Testing the turbine in Cambridge Bay will help determine how well the technology works for when communities decide they want wind energy.
She said she couldn’t offer a start date “but we’re hoping to have it turning very quickly.”
In other communities, challenges involved in running a wind turbine like this include capital costs, such as for the turbine structure itself, as well as for a foundation and whatever electrical equipment is needed, Hass said.
Hass could not say how much the turbine would cost, saying it’s tough to predict because the cost will vary from community to community.
Once the turbine is installed, the operating costs will be small.
“It’s almost free energy,” she said.
This project is part of Polar Knowledge’s larger goal of providing consistent renewable energy for northern communities while moving them away from their dependence on diesel, Hass said.
This is the first phase of Polar Knowledge’s renewable energy hub, which plans to also test biofuels, solar energy and hydrogen energy.
Meanwhile, Rio Tinto has been using 2300kW wind turbines with a rotor diameter of 71m at Diavik since 2012, which has saved over 43 million litres of diesel.
It’s nice that Polar likes to play with toys though…
Hydro Quebec had one in kuujjuaq about 30 yrs ago for ” testing ” . Glencore mines in nunavik has 2 on the go, Tarquti Energy , pet project of Makivik and FCNQ have been testing . Why not get the results from one of these entities
Results from 30 years ago reflect 30 year old technology.
Commercial and Institutional Power Producers cannot provide their own energy needs. Instead they have to supply any energy they produce to the distribution system and are paid for that energy. Its a basic concept that’s been in place for 3 years now. Once again, misinformation being relayed to the public. This is in place to ensure the grid remains stable, safe, and that Commercial and Institutional do not offload the costs to maintain the electric grid to other consumers.
Residential customers are limited to 15kw capacity if generating for their own needs.
Fred Ross put a windmill in 1980 and it worked great, but let’s get the federal gov do research for 5 years, spend millions, and say it works, got to keep those southerners working wasting money.
I live in Cambridge and have never even seen these people
So I guess we won’t worry about all the birds flying Into these and let’s the foxes get fat and bring more wolf’s and bears to the communitys
I went to a public consultation for this turbine which addressed wildlife concern. And noise and vibration. I Was skeptical when I went, but I Felt better after hearing their responses to community questions.
It’s time to end “saving the planet” disillusion. Calling wind turbines green energy. Which use large amounts of coal, oil, gas and rare earth minerals to make, transport and install.
When the wind turbine is in operation, the turbine noise and infrasound, perceptible vibrations and audible sound, have caused human health issues. It’s no surprise animals and bugs move far from wind turbines. Apple cancelled its electrical purchase agreement over the public concerns of the environmental impact of the project on native species. On March 2024, French Council of Sate ruled the authorizations and renewals of onshore wind farms (WF) are illegal over noise measurements for the health of its citizens.
The game of a wind farm is not to generate electricity but to generate certificates to sell to polluters so they may offset their emissions. But who notices when wind-turbines are slickly promoted as “almost free energy”? Not realizing a diesel electrical generating station must run 24/7 to provide power to the turbine electrical motors and to keep the base-line stable.
The one thing wind turbines will guarantee. Household and businesses electricity bills will skyrocket up. Not lower. Countries around the world are leaving the old Flintstone thinking of expensive, nature destructive wind farms behind. Moving into Nuclear, micro nuclear to reduce oil consumption, protecting wildlife, the environment and for affordable growth forward.
Lots of claims there, without much, or any evidence. You seem to be carefully selecting overseas examples and not giving much context. What of the experiments where people claiming the effect of wind turbine infrasound on their health complained just as much when the turbines were not operating?
Can you link that study?
There are very real and documented harmful effects of sound from turbines. That’s why there are IEC and provincial standards addressing regulatory requirements. Dismissing people’s legitimate concerns and claiming that wind energy is ‘almost free’ doesn’t do anything to help promote turbines in the arctic.
this article is dishonest y’all
I interesting job
Norway Supreme Court 2021 ruled on wind turbines operating on land in Arctic Norway. Saying it violated the Sami’s rights who use the land to herd reindeer. The Sami argued the sight and sound of the wind turbines disrupted their reindeer herding.
Young Friends of the Earth Norway and Norwegian Sami Association youth council chained themselves to the entrance of the Norway Ministry of Energy in protest of the wind farm still in operation 2 years after the court ruling.
Greta Thumberg also joined the protest with the Sami in chains.
In January 2024. Oregon county commissioner of Coos, Cordy and Douglas counties passed proclamation against floating wind turbines. Worried over the death of the ecosystem and their fishing grounds.
Ditto… over on the east coast. Fishers fighting against wind turbines ruining ocean fisheries. Biden’s last year approved Ocean Wind 1 project offshore New Jersey of 98 turbines has been cancelled and have other projects up the coast.
Alberta has seen 3 wind turbine projects halted in 2024. The company stating Alberta’s rules changed and the same “lack of certainty in the market”, companies also say on the east coast.
Communities (and power utilities) around the world recognize that properly sited wind turbines are the cheapest power option, not just the cheapest form of clean energy. They produce more power in less than a year than is used in their manufacture and installation and offset more GHG’s in 8-9 months than emitted during their construction. Wind turbines has been operating in Antarctica for over fifteen years, so they can provide power in arctic conditions.
That must be why there hasn’t been a single nuclear power station built in Europe, Canada or the US for over 15 years. Properly sited wind farms produce power more cheaply than any other technology, including nuclear, gas or coal.
United Arab Emirates opened the Barakah nuclear power plant (NPP) 2021 and has plans for a second one. Bangladesh, Rooppur NPP running 2024. Turkey Akkuyu NPP expected to be ready by 2028. This year Turkey will start building 4 more NPP simultaneously in different parts of the country.
Also, the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) market is rapidly spreading around the world, giving an easy solution for isolated areas.
Replacing diesel generators completely, something wind and solar cannot do, with an SMR for generation of electricity for villages, mining locations and steel mills.
SMRs are small, meaning manufacturer can build by assembly-line then transported to the site.
The top dogs in SMR are.. Rolls-Royce plc, China, Holtec International, Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Moltex Energy (Canada), Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Terrestrial Energy Inc (Canada) and Argentina.
Here are home. SNC-Lavalin is working with Moltex Energy on SMR development in Canada. SNC-Lavalin is also working with Ontario Power Generation, Hitachi Nuclear Energy, and Aecon for a BWROC 300 SMR at the Darlington New Nuclear Project site. A 1st for an SMR… grid scale.