Stewart Island Energy Futures Workshop, 24th February 2012
Southland District Council in conjunction with Venture Southland ran a workshop at Oban for vendors and experts to present to the local community the options and difficulties to implement full, or partial replacement of the current engine-alternators with the view to minimising the cost of electricity on Stewart Island. The intention was to seek community consensus for investigating, or otherwise any, or all options.
Workshop
The workshop was held at the Oban Community Hall on Friday 24th February 2012, starting at 1:00pm, finishing at 6:30pm. Some 50 - 60 people attended in addition to the presenters. Most people attending were Oban rate-payers, but some members of the audience had come from as far away as Auckland and Christchurch.
The programme was devised to consist of three sections: the first was to set the scene and explain legislative and planning constraints for options; the second session looked at the technology options available. The third and last session comprised a presentation on the Meridian wind power scheme at Ross Island, Antarctica, which has many lessons for Oban.
Colloquium opening |
Councillor Bruce Ford Jon Spraggon, Stewart Island Community Board, Erik Barnes, Southland District Council |
Session I: Setting the Scene |
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Introduction to session |
Robin McNeill, Venture Southland |
World and National Trends and Developments in Energy generation and Use Accompanying Commentary. |
Emeritus Professor Arthur Williamson, University of Canterbury |
Stewart Island Electricity Demand and Supply Summary of Progress to Date |
Robin McNeill, Venture Southland |
Sharon Pasco, Department of Conservation |
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The Resource Management Act and Energy |
Kylie Galbraith, Environment Southland |
David Rohan, EECA (not present at the workshop due to illness) |
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Session II: Technology Options |
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Introduction to session |
Dr Hamish Laird, ELM G |
Jeff Wilson, Wilson Hire |
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Dr Alistair Gardner, IRL |
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Anthony Hine, REACH Power Ltd |
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Partial Gas Substitution for Industrial and Marine Engines |
Basil Walker |
Dr. Phil Murray, Massey University |
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The Tangaroa Marine Energy Trial near Oban |
Kevin McGrath, Tangaroa Energy |
Session III: Scoping the Future |
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Remote Island Power Supply Case Study: Ross Island, Antarctica |
Iain Miller, Antarctica New Zealand |
Colloquium Round-up |
Erik Barnes, Southland District Council |
McNeill, R.G. A Proposed Way Forward To Deal With Electricity Supply At Stewart Island (2007)
Will the price of electricity drop on Stewart Island/Rakiura?
It is too early to know if renewable energy sources do indeed offer the possibility to reduce the cost of electricity at Oban: no-one knows for sure if the waves are big enough and often enough; if the wind can be relied on; if a hydro scheme would really be viable, or if the cost of solar panels is yet cheap enough. On the other hand, the presenters at the workshop overwhelmingly believed that the price of diesel would only increase over time and some harboured concerns for international long term certainty of supply. It may be that renewable energy sources can at best only halt price increases. Only by collecting site data over a year or so can the economic viability of renewable generation be truly understood.
Next Steps
Venture Southland and Southland District Council staff will work together to produce an options paper for the Stewart Island/Rakiura Community Board and subsequently to be posted on this site setting out the next steps to be taken.
Summary of Stewart Island Energy Futures Workshop, 24th February 2012
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