By JOLENE OGLE
THE future is looking bright for remote communities as Noosa Engineering and Crane Hire gets ready to build 80 innovative power turbines for Indonesia.
In a coup for local job growth, Noosa Engineering and Crane Hire will be responsible for building the in-current hydrokinetic turbines that will offer a cost-effective, environmentally safe form of power generation for some of Indonesia’s most remote villages.
Coolum-based company Nextera Energy is the team which created the turbine that will harness the power of water at four times the rate of a normal turbine, keeping remote communities powered-up for longer.
Nextera Energy chairman David Peel said specially designed blades on the turbine offered four times the force and therefore four times the power of a standard single-blade turbine.
For use in the water, the twin turbines will be suspended from a floating platform and lowered into the body of water such as the ocean or river.
The force of the water pushing through the turbines will power a generator to then power remote communities, and with simple maintenance, the in-current hydrokinetic turbines will offer a low-cost option to diesel-powered generators.
Mr Peel said the turbines would be used in remote villages living close to water sources and 80 units had already been ordered by the Indonesian government, pending the outcome of further testing.
The innovative turbines were unveiled at Noosa Engineering and Crane Hire on Friday 28 August with Noosa Councillors Sandy Bolton and Frank Pardon on hand, as well as Member for Noosa Glen Elmes and local business owners celebrating the job stimulation for the local community.
Mr Elmes said that having the turbines built in Noosa certainly helped expand the local workforce by providing jobs.
“With 80 units ordered, that’s great news for the guys at Noosa Engineering,” he said.
“I’ve been to many remote communities, and the maintenance and cost of diesel-powered generators just isn’t ideal. These turbines offer a simple, environmentally safe and sustainable option for powering these communities.”
Cr Pardon said it was great to see innovative technology being built in Noosa.
“This is great for the local area, and we need more of this in Noosa,” he said.
