What is the wind power potential of the Falkland islands?

Question

The Falkland Islands have an extensive territory, they are sparsely populated and they are on the path of the southern winds, which blow almost constantly.The wind power potential should be enormous.

Such potential has never been exploited because they are too isolated, but I was wondering if the hydrogen economy could change that. Transporting hydrogen over a long distance would be dangerous, but the electricity produced on the islands could be used to produce calcium hydride, or pure magnesium or any other element or compound that reacts with water producing hydrogen. That could be a safe way to transport hydrogen. The economic returns could be good because also the byproducts will be useful, burning hydrogen you get fresh water and calcium hydride would be turned into caustic lime.

What could be the actual potential of such project? Just looking at the map it appears that the islands could produce several gigawatts of electricity simply using inshore turbines. One caveat is that I don't know if the islands have the enough manpower for such project.

Answer 1

The wind power potential in the Falkland Islands is very good.

In 2016 the islands generated 19 GWh of electricity. Of this 53 percent was generated by fossil fuels and the remaining 47 percent was generated by wind turbines.

As of December 2021, one energy company on the Falkland Islands had already installed in excess of 100 wind turbines. These turbines alone generate 12.5 GWh of electricity per annum. Wind speeds on the islands are 8.5 m/s during summer and 14 m/s during winter.

As to the potential for using wind power to produce hydrogen, there are plans to do this in the Tierra del Fuego province of Argentina. Something similar could be achieved on the Falkland Islands. If sheep farmers are hesitant to have wind turbines on their properties, off shore wind farms could be established.