A leap into the future: Green Power Island

4 Dec 2009, 12:00 am   -   Source: SBS - Chiara Pazzano
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Green Power Island Project Manager Sten Sodring tells SBS about his plan to establish artificial energy islands around the world.

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Green Power Island is a vision for establishing artificial energy islands, focusing on storage of future wind power by means of pumped hydro with seawater. Project Manager Sten Sodring at Gottlieb Paludan has spoken to SBS about this revolutionary technology. 

The islands' main function is the storing of excess energy from wind power production.

In order to even out a mismatch between demand and capacity, wind farms can be combined with a number of Green Power Islands that are able to store the excess energy in pumped hydro. 

Pumped hydroelectricity stores energy in the form of water, pumped from a lower elevation reservoir to a higher elevation. During periods of high electrical demand, the stored water is released through turbines.

"This is a solution for a future overflow created as we move towards an energy system based on renewable energy sources," Mr Sodring told SBS.

"The problem of the overflow of green energy is already present today, but in a small scale.

"But in Denmark we have plans to go almost totally renewable in our energy systems. And this problem will of course grow".

Mr Sodring says Gottlieb Paludan has designed different islands for different locations around the world: one in China in India, Florida and in the Persian Gulf.

"These places are planning large efforts into renewable technology, like solar or wind power."

"And of course with the hydropower technology you can store any kind of energy: also solar, or even nuclear, all energy forms.

Green Power Islands are designed based on local and scenic qualities and they are given size, form and function with reference to their location in open sea, near cities or in connection with large infrastructural projects.

The islands may vary in size from approx. 1.5 to 45 km2 with energy reservoirs ranging from approx. 800 MWh to 35,000 MWh.

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Your Comments

population effect

Michael - from Rosebud, 1 year

Europe is the most heavily subsidised economic zone in the world. You can do much at grass roots level to tackle climate change but, how economic and durable are these state of the art systems. If we are serious about the climate and reduction of greenhouse gases then in conjunction to these innovative schemes we should also be looking at population. Unless we can identify the spiralling population as the main cause of our destructive impact on this planet then all we do is chase our tail.

Like it, but...

Nick - from Sydney, 2 years ago

I just wonder what the energy cost, is to not only build and maintain the island(s), but also to actually pump out the vast volumes of water these islands store after using it to generate hydro power. Do these pumps run on the same renewable energy created by the hydro turbines built into the islands?

Sounds Good But

Alistair - from Geelong, 2 years ago

All hydro-electric generating operations around the globe have one thing in common: a big height difference between the water storage and the generators, providing enormous pressure to drive the turbines and generate lots of power. So unless this operation is sited near mountains and the wind-driven pumping operation is a complex, multi-stage outfit pushing the water up a long way it may struggle to be a goer.

Recreation +

Damien Wehner - from Broulee Austraila, 2 years ago

This sounds like a great renewable opportunity. If possible I would like to adda suggestion. If these islands where to be built in places around the world where consistant ocean swells are avaliable, the possiblity of surfing tourism could also flurish by creating artifical surfing resorts. Creating jobs and reducing the pressure apon overcrowding in the ever increasing world surfing population. Just an idea to add to the renewable argument.

mr

brian dillon - from newcastle, 2 years ago

Those who want to go nuclear always base this premise on the idea that it is the only fuel that can achieve the same output required to maintain our current lifestyles when it is patently obvious that we are living unsustainable & wasteful lives that cannot & should not be maintained. And the question remains what are you going to do with the waste?

Great concept

Jwb - from Brisbane, 3 years ago

This is a great concept and allows for a more consistent supply of renewable energy should there be a period of low winds. Further potential of this concept could be also explored. For example the pumping of water out of the island could be done by power from exsisting power stations (coal or gas), which during non peak times is otherwise wasted. Credit also to SBS for its indepth coverage of the issue. Awareness is part of the solution.

Pumped storage

Alex - from Sydney, 3 years ago

Except that there is no evidence that exothermic nuclear fusion is possible. Pumped storage, on the other hand, is a proven technology. If we can get fusion to work, absolutely, but until then ideas like this are helpful and achieveable with current technology.

Sten Sodring's Bright Idea

James Makepeace - from England, 3 years ago

It all looks good... until you do the maths... How much energy does it take to create and maintain each of these islands ? I somehow doubt Mr Sodring's bright idea involves him not making a tidy profit... he touts himself as a Project Manager after all ! To solve the energy challenge we need scientists and engineers and (as a worrying second thought) the politicians and bureaucrats who (hopefully) will have the wit to finance them ! The real answer for future energy is nuclear fusion !

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