Chatham Islanders are hoping the power of wind will bring relief from some of the country’s highest electricity bills after new wind turbines began feeding energy into the island’s grid last month.
Located 800 kilometres off the coast of mainland New Zealand, the remote community has long relied on diesel generators for electricity, which has meant residents have been paying more than four times the national average for power.
Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson said the project was funded by a $10 million grant from the government’s Climate Emergency Response Fund and a $500,000 grant from the Provincial Growth Fund.
It included three refurbished wind turbines, a storage battery, and supporting electricity distribution infrastructure.
The switch to wind energy was expected to reduce diesel use by up to 68%, and save more than $1 million a year, as well as significantly cut carbon emissions. Since the windfarm began operation in November, there have been several days in which the island has run solely on wind-generated power.
Chatham Islands Enterprise Trust chairperson Hamish Chisholm said it was a significant step for the island to move away from fossil fuel powered electricity into a more sustainable future.
"The wind shapes who we are and what we do, when we do it. So it seems pretty fitting," he told 1News.
The power for Chatham Islanders on the grid was expected to drop by 20%.
Fishing is the backbone of the local economy and for seafood exporters, electricity costs can be crippling.
At the Tātai Kōura crayfish depot in Owenga, workers were often taking in about three tonnes of crayfish a day, before it was sent to markets in Japan and China.
But keeping that operation going came at a steep price.
Tātai Kōura chief executive Jeremy Little said peak-season power bills could reach between $25,000 and $28,000 a month for the one depot — mainly due to the energy required for refrigeration and heat exchange systems.
While the move to wind power is expected to lower costs, Little said some businesses would need to invest in infrastructure upgrades to fully benefit.
“A lot of it will need infrastructure updates to be able to hook into that network and get those savings,” he said.
“But anything that helps the Chatham Islands has got to be a positive.”
Most households had also been forced to find ways to limit electricity use.
Hotel Chatham owner Toni Croon said many residents on the island have relied on wood burners or gas califonts to heat water rather than electricity.
“Most normal households can’t survive on electricity alone,” she said.
“People will do anything they can to save power.”
Her hotel alone faced a monthly power bill of about $13,000, rising to $24,000 when all her properties were included.
“It’s absolutely our biggest expense. I haven’t seen it (the benefits) yet — but the proof is in the pudding,” Croon said.
Bottle store owner Philippa Ingram told 1News everyone she spoke to was looking forward to lower bills.
“The people who put these ones in were spectacular,” she said.
“We started with turbines on the east, now it’s the south-west coast. Hopefully the price will go down. Any discount is great.”
There were several days in November when the island ran solely on wind power, something local businesses and residents are eager to see become the norm.
Diesel generators will remain in place as a back up power source.
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