Green light for 80 turbines; But there is doubt now whether they will ever be built
The Motorimu Wind Farm has gained consent for 80 turbines, but whether any will be built is up in the air.
In an Environment Court decision released this week, Judge Brian Dwyer and two commissioners ruled a total of 80 turbines could be built on the Tararua Ranges around Tokomaru.
The site crosses the Palmerston North and Horowhenua boundaries.
Last year, the court consented 75 turbines, but turned down 52.
Motorimu appealed the decision, arguing at least 38 extra turbines were essential to the viability of the project.
Most of the disputed turbine sites were on the front ridge line of the central Tararua Ranges, known as the Te Mata ridge line, and Kaihinu Peak.
In this week’s decision the court allowed five more turbines, but said the others could not be justified because of the amenity impact on people living close to the wind farm.
There was no way to adequately mitigate the impact of the turbines, the commissioners wrote.
“The evidence of the applicant did not satisfy us that these turbines could be established without significant adverse effect, particularly as these turbines extend the wind farm out of the basin and valleys where the consented turbines are.”
The decision took into account the cumulative affect of Manawatu wind farms.
“Clearly there is an issue as to the wider landscape implications of ongoing establishment of wind farms in the Manawatu region.”
But despite the ruling, whether the 80 turbines will ever be built is unclear.
Motorimu had already argued the project would be unviable without the extra turbines.
“We might lose 40 percent of the turbines, [but] we lose more than 50 percent of the generation,” Allco Wind Energy technical director Bernhard Voll said last year.
And now Allco Wind Energy, which owns Motorimu, is up for sale.
Mr Voll was not available for comment yesterday. But Christine Bowen, director of external relations for the parent company Allco Finance Group Ltd, confirmed it was getting out of the wind energy game.
“We’ve been undertaking sales in what we call our non-core business and infrastructure.”
All New Zealand wind assets were currently on the market, she said, meaning the future of Motorimu was uncertain, as the new owner would take over the consent.
Resource consents belong to the land, not the applicant.
The court’s decision acknowledged the imminent change in ownership, and said that another company may consider 80 turbines more viable than Motorimu had.
“We do not find that if the consent is declined to the additional turbines then establishment of the consented turbines would not be viable for any other operator.”
By Katie Chapman
2 October 2008
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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