How Wing Can Revolutionize Arctic Energy

Here at Borrum Energy Solutions, we design our turbines with several target groups in mind. One of those key groups are Northern Communities. The Arctic climate presents unique and extreme challenges, but through ingenious engineering, these environmental factors can be overcome. In this blog, I will cover what makes electricity generation specifically difficult in the Arctic and how the Anorra turbine tackles these issues.

The primary way that many remote Northern Communities currently generate electricity is through diesel generators. While these generators do provide reliable power, the cost of the fuel to run them is absurd. Not only are these diesel generators costly economically, but there are environmental and health concerns as well. They release pollutants into the atmosphere, harming the local air quality and the climate on a broader level. The key advantage of diesel is the consistent and controllable output and the ability to store fuel for when it is needed.

What are the alternatives to these diesel generators? One emerging option would be small modular nuclear reactors. While they would provide a consistent level of electricity generation, the issue with them is that they are exceedingly expensive to construct, so much so that the cost of electricity generation would be 10 times the already high cost of diesel, which makes them impractical without a substantial subsidy. A more affordable option would be solar; it requires no fuel and minimal maintenance. It does need sunlight, though, which can be limited to find in the Northern Communities and the Arctic, especially during winter months, severely capping the generation potential of solar panels.

This leaves a solution that stands out: wind power. The wind speeds in Northern Canada are some of the best in the world. Flat terrain and few obstructions allow even smaller wind turbines to generate immense amounts of electricity.  There is incredible potential for wind turbines, but transporting large ones can be costly, especially if the only way to access the community is through flight. Another factor is the permafrost; building a large structure on permafrost is a challenge, and drilling into the ground is very difficult. This favors smaller wind turbines that need a less extensive foundation to function.

The Anorra turbine is specifically designed to provide optimal performance in these conditions. It can take advantage of the phenomenal wind speeds, has been tested to temperatures as low as -50 degrees Celsius, is easily transportable, and has minimal foundation requirements. There is also the massive economic benefit the turbine provides, allowing a shift from costly diesel to free clean renewable energy. Learn more about the benefits of Anorra turbines for Northern communities here.