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Wind Power News: New Zealand
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Wellington’s Brooklyn wind turbine put out of action by bad weather
The Brooklyn wind turbine was built to harness Wellington’s notorious wind, but it is the recent cold, damp weather that has put it out of action. The 67-metre tall landmark’s blades haven’t turned since June when it was taken out of service for maintenence. Meridian Energy spokeswoman Anna Vrede said while work was underway, moisture got into the generator and electronics. “Usually during maintenance, there is still electricity going to the turbine and this helps protect the electronics from moisture . . . Complete story »
Staunch opposition to wind turbines keeps Stewart Island running on diesel power
Stewart Islanders pay higher prices for their power than mainlanders, but they’re stuck with diesel for the foreseeable future after a wind turbine project was scrapped. But why were islanders so against the turbine project? During the past 40 years some 25 reports have looked at alternative energy sources but to date nothing has been built. With a Government that is pro-active in encouraging people to look cleaner fuel sources to help the climate, having beautiful Stewart Island, that is . . . Complete story »
Turbine blades tilt for their journey to the ridges above Palmerston North
Mercury’s wind farm contractors have engineered a way out of a tricky problem – how to get the massive turbine blades to the top of the Tararua Range above Palmerston North. The corners on the Pahīatua Track were too tight to get the 55-metre blades around and an attempt to create a bypass track collapsed in a slip. The solution, given the road could not be made straighter, was to make the blades shorter. The innovative technology, the blade manipulator, . . . Complete story »
Oceanex Energy eyes Taranaki for offshore wind farms
An Australian company has plans for developing offshore and floating wind farms in Australia and New Zealand. Oceanex Energy is pushing the ambitious plans and is looking at developing offshore farms producing three gigawatts of power in New Zealand and nine gigawatts in Australia. The company identified up to eight New Zealand sites but believed Taranaki offered one of the best options, in part because of its good and consistent wind, and because it had an oil and gas industry . . . Complete story »
Construction of South Island’s largest wind farm to start soon in Nth Canterbury
Construction of the 22 turbine Mt Cass Wind Farm, consented eight years ago, is planned to start late this year. MainPower expects the wind farm, which will be the largest in the South Island, to be finished in 18 months. The North Canterbury lines company earlier put the cost of the project at around $200 million. The turbines will stretch along a 7.5 kilometre ridge on Mt Cass, about 5km east of the Waipara township. The regional Kate Valley landfill . . . Complete story »
Contact Energy secures first wind farm site, in lower South Island
Contact Energy has signed a contract with a landowner for what may be a large wind farm in the lower South Island. The electricity company announced on Tuesday that it intended to begin developing wind farms for the first time, and was planning a pipeline of “large-scale” developments over the next six years. Chief executive Mike Fuge told Stuff Contact has secured its first site, which is in the lower South Island, though he has not revealed the exact location. . . . Complete story »
Contact plans pipeline of ‘large-scale’ wind farms over next 6 years
Contact Energy has signalled its intent to start build wind farms in what would be a first for the country’s largest privately-controlled power firm. Chief executive Mike Fuge said it had appointed a Plimmerton-based consulting firm, Roaring40s, to develop “a pipeline of large-scale wind farm opportunities” over the next six years. The statement came at the same time spot market electricity prices were sitting above 50 cents a kilowatt hour in Auckland and many other parts of the country – . . . Complete story »
Wind farm development on Stewart Island shelved
Investigations into developing a wind farm on Stewart Island/Rakiura have ended after agreement could not be reached on a suitable location. In November 2019, the Government granted $3.16 million from the Provincial Growth Fund to enable pre-development and construction stages of a wind farm to reduce the island’s reliance on diesel to generate electricity. A wind farm would have provided a renewable energy source, and reduced diesel use on the island. However, despite a comprehensive investigation of several potential locations, . . . Complete story »
Hawke’s Bay wind farm will create 260 jobs in 3 years, but iwi’s long term concerns remain
A $395 million wind farm north of Napier will create 260 jobs, but will go ahead without the full support of local iwi. Meridian Energy plans to begin construction of the Harapaki Wind Farm later this year. No start date has been revealed. Local iwi had opposed the construction of the wind farm on grounds that included concerns it was on land that included culturally significant sites. However, the iwi has chosen to take a damage control approach and work . . . Complete story »
Meridian aims to build new wind farm every three years
Meridian Energy says it expects to build a new wind farm about every three years after giving a project to build a $395 million wind farm in Hawke’s Bay the green light. The company had put plans for its 41-turbine Harapaki wind farm on ice last year amid concerns the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter might close this year. But it confirmed at the same time as releasing its half-year results on Wednesday that it would now press ahead with the . . . Complete story »
