Hybrid power plant brings electricity to remote island of Tunhamn
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A regular supply of electricity has come to the last permanently inhabited island in the Turku archipelago that has lacked regular power.
The island of Tunhamn has been inhabited since the mid-16th century, but it is too remote for an electric cable to the mainland to be feasible.
Instead, a unique hybrid power plant was established on the island, combining solar and wind power, and a diesel-powered generator.
The whole setup cost EUR 45,000, whereas an undersea cable would have cost more than EUR 300,000.
Experts say that the cost of the electricity produced by the installation is about the same as what electricity now costs the average consumer on the mainland.
Tunhamn is home to two families. The Brunströms have lived on the island for at least six generations.
Kaj Brunström, 31, says that the main difference in the new system is that electricity is now available around the clock, and not just while the diesel generator is turned on.
The old generator was in the cellar of the Brunströms’ house, and the whole floor would shake when it was in use.
"We had to turn on that terrible generator by hand even if we only needed to turn one light on", Brunström recalls.
In the hybrid power plant, three small wind generators constantly charge batteries, and ten solar panels also collect a good deal of energy during the day.
The rotors of the wind generators are only one metre in diameter.
The diesel generator, which turns on automatically, is expected to run for about four hours a day in winter.
In addition to the two households, the system provides power for a workshop, including a circular saw.
The experimental installation at Tunhamn is owned by Nanon Ltd, which believes that such technology could be a viable alternative for summer cottages and homes in remote areas in archipelagoes, on the Saimaa waterway, and in Finnish Lapland.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 2.11.2004 - TODAY |
 Hybrid power plant brings electricity to remote island of Tunhamn |
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