Rottnest Island is about 20 kilometres off the coast from Perth and has its own diesel fuelled power station which supplies electricity to the popular holiday accommodation and tourist services on the island. Perth is one of the windiest cities in the world, and wind energy now supplies a significant percentage of the electrical load on Rottnest Island.
D&WS has installed a new power system incorporating a single 600kW wind turbine, two 320kW LLD™ generators and two 100kW DGI™s. The wind turbine was installed in December 2004 but the energy it could contribute to the existing power system was limited. The existing power station was upgraded during 2005/06. From July 2006 wind energy is making a more significant contribution to the electricity supply. In addition, when there is excess wind energy it is used to power a water desalination plant.
Diesel fuel savings of around 37% are expected. In addition there will be fewer fuel deliveries to this sensitive and highly valued environment, decreasing the risk of fuel spillages.
Further information on Rottnest Island can be found at www.rottnestisland.com
