| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Coastal site eyed for large wind farm
Credit: Anne-Marie Emerson | Monday, October 29, 2012 | Wanganui Chronicle | www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
A giant wind farm is being planned for a coastal site in South Taranaki.
TrustPower has announced its intention to build the 48-turbine wind farm on a 980ha site approximately 6km southeast of Patea and 7km southwest of Waverley, next to the Tasman Sea and the Whenuakura River.
Suzi Luff from TrustPower said the company would lodge its resource consent for the wind farm with the South Taranaki District Council and the Taranaki Regional Council in March next year.
Miss Luff said TrustPower intended to spend five months consulting with the local community about the wind farm project.
“We think it is important to share information about the proposed wind farm, while also providing forums and opportunities to discuss the project with the community,” she said.
A community information meeting will be held at the Waverley community centre at 5.30pm on Wednesday, October 31.
There will be other meetings, an open day, an information stall at the Waverley A&P; show and an online forum set up on Facebook.
Miss Luff said consultation with local iwi Nga Rauru and Ngati Ruanui began in 2009, and discussions with the Department of Conservation and local councils began in 2010.
Neighbours of the wind farm project have been involved in discussions since early 2012.
The wind farm will consist of 48 turbines, each 160 metres high from the ground to the blade tip.
As a whole, the wind farm will have a generation capacity of 130MW.
By contrast, the Te Apiti wind farm in the Manawatu Gorge generates 90MW from its 55 105m-high turbines.
Miss Luff said the site was unique for any existing or proposed wind farms in New Zealand, in that it is extremely flat and has very few constraints.
She said between 80 and 100 people would be involved in the wind farm’s construction. Eight to 10 people would be employed on an ongoing basis to be responsible for monitoring, operation and maintenance of the facility.
The wind farm will include 25 kilometres of internal roads, culverts across the Waipipi Stream, a concrete batching plant, plus two bores for water.
It’s not the first time a wind farm has been planned for this area.
In April 2007, Australian company Allco Wind Energy announced its intention to build a wind farm in the area.
The company lodged a resource consent application with the South Taranaki District Council later that year.
However, after a number of delays the application was withdrawn in mid-2009, and the company was placed under the control of administrators.
Blowin’ in the wind
48 turbines
Maximum 160m in height
Generating 130MW of power
980ha total area, between Waverley and Patea
25km of internal roads
Concrete batching plant
Two water bores
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
| Wind Watch relies entirely on User Funding |
 (via Stripe) |
 (via Paypal) |
Share:
[ Short URL: https://wind-watch.org/news/?p=29529 ]
