FACTUREE and South Pole: Six wind farms built for New Caledonia

While people in Germany are only gradually beginning to realize after the devastating weather disasters of recent months that the consequences of climate change could also affect Europe, the effects are already clearly visible and tangible in the South Pacific.

New Caledonia, a group of islands in the South Pacific belonging to France, is confronted with serious economic, ecological and social problems that are directly attributable to climate change. Extreme weather and high climate variability are affecting the island states in the South Pacific to an extent that we in Europe cannot imagine - or do not want. Until now, New Caledonia has met 80% of its electricity needs from conventional fossil fuel-fired power plants, contributing to global warming, albeit on a smaller scale. With the Prony wind power project, South Pole has implemented a sustainable solution to meet energy needs on the island nation. Emission-free electricity from wind power and 36,000 tons of CO2 saved per year: New Caledonia is providing an example of how efficient climate protection works.

New Caledonia - An endangered paradise

New Caledonia is located northeast of Australia in the Pacific Ocean. The island state with the main island Grande Terre and several side islands and atolls has a unique flora and fauna with many unique endangered animal and plant species. New Caledonia's economy consists largely of tourism, crafts, industry and mining.

Around 8 percent of all lateritic nickel ore deposits worldwide are located in New Caledonia - and the industries involved in mining and processing nickel ores are correspondingly extensive. Up to now, the island state has been satisfying the industry's hunger for energy with fossil fuels - and thus contributing to climate change. The changing climate is hitting the island states in the South Pacific hard.

The rising sea level - only a few millimeters per year - is already becoming evident today, especially on the shallow atolls. The rising seawater is causing the islands' freshwater resources to become saline, and at the same time storms and flooding are becoming more frequent.

The Prony project - Reduction of greenhouse gases according to the Gold Standard

New Caledonia is going carbon neutral - with this objective, a project of South Pole, an expert network of more than 500 employees from 30 countries, was launched back in 2018. FACTUREE – The Online Manufacturer supports the Prony project by purchasing CO2 certificates and thus contributes to a long-term financing of the project.

With the Prony Wind Power Project, New Caledonia's energy needs are being met by a resource that is abundantly available on the island nation: Wind. The project includes a total of six wind farms at two locations, Kafeate and Prony. 116 wind turbines provide a total capacity of 31 MW and an estimated annual production of 40 GWh of emission-free electricity. However, zero emissions is not the only benefit the Prony project holds for New Caledonia. 50 new jobs have been created during the project, at least 26 of which are permanent. Noise pollution from the operation of the wind turbines is not a concern: The 116 wind turbines are installed in isolated areas along the coast.

The effectiveness of the Prony project in terms of climate protection is proven by the non-profit certification organization "The Gold Standard". The certification by the Swiss organization is awarded only to the projects that demonstrably lead to a reduction of greenhouse gases and at the same time contribute to the local environment and the social needs of the population.