The residents of the small Spanish island of El Hierro will soon be able to live and function without having to use the depleting non-renewable sources of energy – as it will soon be self-sufficient and will produce its own energy from greener sources like the wind, water, and the sun! The small island, located on the western edge of the Canary Islands, will be the first to actually run on 100 percent renewable energy sources. El Hierro has already been designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in the year 2000, but the island wanted to put an end to its carbon footprint (annual consumption of 44,000 barrels of oil) and has decided to make use of what it has in plentiful – water, sun, and a dormant volcano.
The most technically challenging and innovative aspect would be the production of hydro-electricity that would be generated by the pumping of water up to a height of 2,300 feet (the height of the volcano) into the crater of a dormant volcano by using five wind turbines that would be located on a ridge alongwith the NE coast. This water will be released (only when there is no wind blowing) through four hyroelectric turbines back into the original source basin that is located near the coast. The process then starts afresh when the wind energy powers the water and pumps it back up the volcano crater (crater of the volcano that has a capacity to contain 556,000 cubic meters of water) and down through the hydroelectric turbines. This hydel $87 million project called ‘pumped hydro storage’ – would be managed by ABB – a leading Swiss engineering organization.
The 11.3MW hydroelectricity-producing plant combined with the 11.5 MW wind energy would cater to 80 percent of the energy required for 11,000 homes and powering three desalination plants as well as the energy needs of the tourists that number 60,000 or more. The remaining 20 percent energy requirements would be met by solar thermal collectors and photovoltaic solar panels. El Hierro will truly make a great role model for others to follow suit in the implementation of renewable energy in a big way. Although, the project may seem costly at first, but with the growing demand and prices of fossil fuels, alternative renewable energy method would be a viable option in the long run.
Via: SmartPlanet
