Powering The Island

A global benchmark for island sustainability

When you flick on the power in your Rottnest Island accommodation, do you wonder where that beam of light comes from, or how your kettle is boiling for the next cup of tea? Most of us probably don’t give it much thought. But, on Rottnest Island, there is a whole network of local energy systems that power the island.

As you travel around the winding paths of this land, you’ll see our 600 kW wind turbine spinning on Mt Herschel and our 600 kW solar farm. These eye-catching sights tell a clear story of the island’s commitment to sustainability. Run on an advanced hybrid of renewable energy systems, the wind and solar power is combined with a local power generation plant using low-load and standard diesel. 

The wind turbine and solar farm provide up to 45% of the island’s energy needs, so we’re using diesel less and less. So far, we’ve achieved a reduction of around 1,600 tonnes in CO2 emissions each year – the equivalent of taking 350 cars off the road. 

Investing for the future 

With new government investments coming into effect, the reduction in emissions will increase to an estimated 4,000 tonnes and the island will run off 75% renewable energy.