Frequently Asked Questions
Renewable Energy in Aotearoa
Why is it so important?
Why do we need a whole lot more of it?
Around 87%* of Aotearoa New Zealand’s power comes from renewable energy sources, made up of hydroelectricity, geothermal, wind and solar.
Aotearoa’s growing population, the increasing impacts of climate change (hotter, drier, wilder weather events), and ambitious target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 mean we need to dramatically increase our renewable energy supply and electricity network resilience as a country to continue to meet our energy needs.
Transpower (the national power grid owner/operator) predicts we’re going to be using 68% more power by 2050^. That’s 8 GW by 2050. In context, that means we need around 40 new big power generation/battery projects by 2035.
*source: MBIE Energy in New Zealand 2023 Report
^source: Transpower NZGP1 projections December 2021
Why wind farms?
A wind farm is a large collection of turbines that capture wind energy with their blades. When wind causes the blades to spin, an electrical generator within the turbine produces electricity which is then transferred into the national power grid, which distributes electricity to homes and businesses across Aotearoa New Zealand.
We have some of the best wind resources* in the world here in Aotearoa. This means our wind farms can provide significant and cost-effective energy generation. Currently around 6% of NZ’s electricity needs are met by wind farms.
Since wind doesn’t require mining, extracting, or burning fossil fuels, it’s a much cleaner generation option.
Any emissions generated during a turbine’s manufacture, installation, operation, maintenance and decommissioning, are typically offset within the wind farm’s first 1-2 years^ of operation. No greenhouse gases are emitted from the generation of electricity using wind.
There are limited environmental impacts from the construction of a wind farm when compared with other forms of electricity generation such as hydro dams, thermal generation, etc.
*source: Wind generation in New Zealand
^source: Wind | EECA
Why do we need more power generation in the South Island?
Transpower is predicting South Island energy needs will grow significantly as businesses and industries using coal boilers for process heat begin to decarbonise and make the switch to electrode boilers and high temperature heat pumps, replacing fossil fuels with electricity.
Transpower is also factoring in the need for transport electrification and new industry requirements (such as new data centres, green fuel production (hydrogen), etc.).
Kaihiku Wind Farm Project Details
What needs to happen before the project is confirmed?
Before the project is confirmed the Kaihiku Wind Farm development team will need to complete a full assessment of environmental and technical considerations and effects.
This assessment will inform consent application, technical design to construct and operate the wind farm, conditions associated with a wind farm development and resultant financial viability of the project.
What will people see on the site over time?
The full development of the Kaihiku Wind Farm project is expected to take at least 4 years, with the indicative timeline reliant on the findings of studies and assessments, feedback from consultation, consenting timelines and market dynamics.
If consents are obtained, when would Kaihiku Wind Farm be operational?
It is very early days, but our best estimate would be first power in 2027, with the wind farm fully operational in 2028 if the decision is made to proceed.
How much will it cost? Do you get a subsidy from the government?
Kaihiku Wind Farm would have a capital cost of ~$750m to $1b based on a circa 300MW project.
Wind farm subsidies are not available in New Zealand currently.
Who owns the land that has been ear-marked for the project?
For privacy reasons we cannot share that information, but Manawa Energy and Pioneer Energy have agreements in place with landowners to develop the windfarm on private land.
What happens if Tiwai Point Aluminum Smelter closes?
We anticipate reassessing the feasibility of the project in this instance against current and expected power demand in the South Island.
Will the transmission lines and substations require upgrading?
A new substation close to the existing 220V Transpower line will be required.
Have Transpower approved your connection application submitted March 2023?
The project connection ‘application request’ has been accepted by Transpower and is on their publicly available ‘new generation’ connection information list. It has not been approved yet.
What happens to the wind farm at the end of its 30-year life?
At the end of the 30+ year operation period, we typically look at either repowering or decommissioning the site:
Repowering involves upgrading the equipment to continue operating.
Decommissioning involves dismantling the turbines, removing and recycling them where practical.
Impact Assessments and Environment
What will the impact on the local environment be?
The impact on the local environment will be carefully considered and managed through the assessment of effects and the conditions granted as part of a successful resource consent process.
We’re completing impact assessments to look at whether the wind farm will have any cultural, visual, noise, ecological, archaeological, construction or transportation impacts.
Assessments completed so far:
Preliminary noise assessment: Acoustic modelling report indicates Kaihiku Wind Farm will be compliant with NZS 6808 standards.
Archaeological and heritage report indicates there are no major concerns.
Ecology investigations – are ongoing, in particular falcons and lizards need to be considered and bat monitoring is in progress.
Civil earthworks assessment
Aviation assessment
Radio & communications assessment
Will the Environmental Management Plans be shared with the public before work begins?
They will be made available to affected parties during the resource consent application process.
Economic Benefits and Job Creation
Will the wind farm development create any jobs?
There will be a significant opportunity for economic growth and job creation in the Clutha district during both construction and ongoing maintenance and operations (30+ years).
We estimate the wind farm construction would employ around 80 – 130 full-time equivalent jobs each year over two years of construction, and 5-10 full-time employees over the 30+ year operational period.
With new jobs in the area also comes support for local businesses such as accommodation, hotels, restaurants, and cafes.
During the consenting phase the site is visited by experts to assess the project from a technical, environmental and stakeholder point of view. These experts are typically from New Zealand based firms spread throughout the country and the duration is circa 12-18 months.
During the construction phase numerous types of jobs are created for the civil, electrical and turbine construction aspects of the project. These jobs are predominantly services by New Zealand-based companies who aim to employ local and regional resources.
Examples of local and regional work types during construction include:
o Industrial and domestic electricians
o Transport operators
o Civil workers and excavation machine operators
o General labourers
o Quarry materials supply
o Concrete suppliers and workers
o Crane operators and riggers
o Local dairies, pubs, hotels, food service providers
During the wind farm’s operating life there is a small team on site that are responsible for day-to-day operation and maintenance. These staff are supported by local, regional, and national companies for their ongoing activities (i.e., civil, electrical, parts, services, etc.)
Operations
Who will operate the wind farm?
The wind farm will be owned and operated by Manawa Energy and Pioneer Energy in partnership, which means we will have a long-term presence and a strong interest in the local community around the wind farm.
How often will the wind farm operate? Will it be 24/7?
If there is not enough wind, or the wind is too strong, the wind farm will not operate.
Will there be diesel or petrol motors operating?
At times, yes:
During the construction phase: as part of our resource consent, we will meet NZ’s construction noise standard NZS 6803. This includes different night-time and weekend/public holiday noise level management.
During day-to-day operations once the wind farm is complete: Diesel or petrol generators would be used from time to time when the wind farm is operational for maintenance purposes.
How noisy will the wind farm be?
Background noise surveys and acoustic modelling results indicate that all 73 proposed turbines would be within NZ standards (NZS 6808) for homes surrounding the wind farm site. In the diagram below, you can see a yellow line, outside the yellow line noise levels are predicted to be below 40dB.
Predicted 40dB noise level plan.
(Click to view larger)
NZS 6808:2010 recommends that the level of sound from a wind farm, when heard from outside a home, should not exceed the background sound level by more than 5 decibels (dB), or a level of 40 dB, whichever is the greater.
In this diagram you can see what can typically be heard at different dB levels:
Wind Resource and Turbines
How windy is the location? How is this calculated?
The Kaihiku Wind Farm site has a long-term average wind speed of 9.0 – 9.5m/s, placing it in a top tier (Class 1) sector for average wind speed. Site wind monitoring data has shown a strong long-term average wind speed that would generate a significant amount of electricity. The site has a wind capacity of 44% – (e.g., a 300MW wind farm would be operating at full capacity generating 300MW, 44% of the time throughout the year).
What percentage of the time is the wind speed too high to generate?
It is minimal.
If there is not enough wind, or the wind is too strong, the wind farm will not operate. Wind turbines start generating at about 12kph, are at full output at about 45kph and shut down (the blades pitch to release the forces on them) at about 90kph.
How big are the turbines?
The turbines under evaluation for Kaihiku Wind Farm will be the latest generation of wind turbine technology. It is envisioned these turbines will have a tip height (at the top of the rotation of the blades) of up to 220m and a megawatt (MW) rating of 4.2-6.6MW per turbine. The specific size of turbine is not known until the project reaches a financial investment decision as the evolution of wind turbine technology continues to improve at a rapid pace.
Can the 73 turbines be reduced in number and size? Or relocated?
The number and size of turbines will be dependent on completion of studies and assessments. At this stage the site plan and layout are conceptual, and will likely change depending on resource consent conditions, and assessments.
What happens to the turbines at end of life?
If the site is decommissioned, we would look to the best available options for recycling/repurposing the wind farm components. This would be at the wind farm owner’s cost.
Approximately 85-94 per cent of a wind turbine (by mass) is recyclable. The wind industry collectively is still working on solutions for turbine blades, which are hard to recycle.
There are a few innovative blade recycling options available globally, and encouragingly, turbine manufacturers are developing recyclable blade options using new types of materials that can be separated from other components and reused in new applications.
Source: Clean Energy Council: Winding Up Decommissioning, Recycling and Resource Recovery of Australian Wind Turbines Report.
What can you tell us about the turbine lights?
Turbine lighting is based on Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of New Zealand requirements. Currently selected turbines at wind farms with turbines over 60m in height are required to have lighting all night. Selected turbines include the highest turbines, those at the extremities of the site, and other turbines around the perimeter of the site.
Lights required by the CAA are expected to include shields to reduce visual impact.
Can the turbines be fitted with a lighting system that activates only when aircraft are nearby?
The CAA does not currently allow for this technology to be utilised.
Do wind turbines interfere with radar signals?
In some instances, yes. As part of our preliminary studies, we assess the existing television and radio signal strength in the area before construction starts, so we can assess whether any later reception issues are being caused by the wind farm, and work with people to resolve these.
New Zealand television broadcasts operate on digital transmission signals, which are far less susceptible to interference from wind farms than old analogue signals.
How close can you fly a helicopter to the Wind Farm?
Civil Aviation Rules cover objects (e.g.: turbines) and activities that affect navigable airspace, as such, Kaihiku Wind Farm will be registered with the CAA as special use airspace.
What measures do you have in place around ethical procurement of wind farm components?
We’ll be undertaking appropriate due diligence of suppliers during the procurement process and enforcing contractual terms that will require contractors or suppliers to demonstrate they are managing supply chain risks in line with our expectations.
We will take a robust approach to securing environmental approvals and have systems and processes in place to manage environmental and ethical considerations during the delivery and operational phases of the project, including responsible procurement.
Consent Process
What do you need to consider for consents?
Field surveys and assessments are currently underway to inform the project viability and the resource consent application.
Considerations include environmental and ecological impact, aviation assessments, noise and acoustics, proximity to neighbours, existing flora and fauna, cultural assessment/impact reports, landscape and visual, transport, civil and earthworks.
Will Kaihiku Wind Farm be fast-tracked through consenting?
We continue to evaluate the consenting options for this project. Regardless of the process, we remain committed to transparency and consultation.
Will I be able to make a formal submission on this project?
At this stage we plan to lodge the primary resource consent application in early 2025. A network connection application was submitted to Transpower in March 2023. The Clutha District council and Otago Regional Council will be involved in this process. We’ll continue to progress the connection application and we will need to obtain the resource consents before we proceed to investing in wind turbines and civil works procurement.
When will you be lodging resource consents?
Further to previous communication on the topic of resource consents, we are considering the potential of the Government’s recently proposed Fast Track Approvals Bill process and will be applying for Kaihiku Wind Farm to be considered as a renewable energy infrastructure project with significant regional or national benefits under Schedule 2A of the bill.
If our application for the Fast Track Approvals process is accepted, we can choose to continue down this track, or we can withdraw and continue with the traditional Resource Management Act consenting pathway, this decision will be made at a later date. As this bill progresses through parliament, we will gain a clearer understanding of the implications and benefits of this process.
If we use the Fast-Track Approvals process, this will not impact on our commitment to robust and meaningful community and stakeholder engagement.
In the meantime, we will continue progressing the project and continue with community and stakeholder engagement with the view to lodge consent applications in early 2025.
Construction and the Community
What can the community expect during construction of the wind farm?
Over time people will see activities on the site depending on the phase (consenting, construction, operation). These activities will be confined to the site itself. Depending on the phase of the project the main impact outside of the site will be traffic movements.
Traffic estimates and management plans will be compiled as part of the consenting process to ensure safety and minimise disruption to surrounding stakeholders and the community.
Over time on site, you will see construction activities moving from civil (earthworks, road building, concrete pouring) through to electrical (connection to the national grid) and then turbine installation (delivery, installation, and commissioning of wind turbines).
Will local roads and bridges be upgraded to support wind farm construction?
Road access needs will be based on construction and transportation impact assessments, and consent conditions if granted, so we will have more information in the future on this question.
How will you minimise impact on the local community?
We follow NZ legal standards and guidelines for all activities undertaken throughout development, these standards are designed to minimise impact on people and the environment.
For example: NZS 6808 wind farm noise standards, NZS 6803 construction noise standards.
We’ll have a better idea of potential impacts and what will be done to minimize these as we complete each of the key impact assessments and studies.
Local Community
How will you involve and communicate with our local community?
We will actively involve the local community and are committed to communicating with you. We are here to answer your questions and will:
Provide opportunities for the community and stakeholders to ask questions, provide feedback and ideas, and participate in decision making.
Maintain open and transparent conversations with people in the community.
Foster positive relationships with the community.
Provide timely responses and feedback to the community’s concerns, with the intention of using this feedback to positively influence the development of the project where possible.
Encourage our teams and suppliers to support local businesses first.
What are the positives for communities living near a wind farm?
The communities around wind farms (and other renewable power generation sites) are supporting renewable energy and security of energy supply for New Zealand.
Having a wind farm close also boosts the local economy through support for local businesses and services throughout development and operations thereafter.
Employment opportunities will be available throughout the project, and later during operations across a variety of contract and direct employment.
Wind generation in the community provides unique education opportunities for local schools (and the community) to learn about renewable wind energy and how wind farms work.
Wind farms provide landowners with an option to diversify income and offer a secure income stream for farmers in seasonally challenging environments.
For the Kaihiku Wind Farm we will be exploring options for the establishment of a community fund. Typically, funds go towards community, education and environmental projects.
Will you hold Open Days?
We are committed to being open and transparent about our plans. If you have any questions about this proposed wind farm, please come along to an Open Day.
Our introductory Open Day was held on Wednesday 8 November, 2023, from 3 – 7pm at the Clinton Community Centre. Members of the project team from Pioneer and Manawa Energy were there to answer questions.
Why are you developing a wind farm here?
The South Island is expected to see an increase in electricity over the coming decades and this wind farm will help ensure reliable supply of renewable electricity to the area.
This part of New Zealand is well-known for its abundant wind resource, and there are very few sites available within New Zealand that fit all of the development characteristics required for wind farms.
What does the local community think about wind farms?
Who have you consulted with so far?
We are in the early stages of community engagement about the proposed Kaihiku Wind Farm and so far we have met people with many different levels of interest and feelings about the project.
To date we have met or communicated with key stakeholders including around 60 members of the local community at our first open day, the Department of Conservation, Aukaha, Clutha District Council and Otago Regional Council, and locals to brainstorm ideas for how a community fund could work. This engagement will continue and as more of the project specifics are developed regarding consenting, we will engage further with the local community through one-on-one meetings and more public open days.
Interested parties can also get in touch with us at any time via info@kaihikuwindfarm.co.nz.
Have you spoken with local iwi reps? What are their thoughts?
We are engaging with local iwi through their consultancy branches.
Can you supply a visual of the size of the wind turbines as they would be seen from the Clinton Township?
The visualisations that we have completed to date have been loaded here. The closest to the Clinton township is visual number 3.
Do we have any rights to vote for or against this wind farm?
Renewable energy developments don’t include voting options. This is one of the primary reasons we hold consultation and remain open to questions and feedback, to help guide planning and if resource consents are granted, development in the future. During the consenting process, a hearing panel considers the potential impacts of development on the community, for example, noise, visual, traffic and more.
Will power prices change with local generation?
All power generated from Kaihiku Wind Farm will go into to the national grid. This electricity will significantly add to addressing NZ’s electricity demand and security of electricity supply within the South Island.
Transmission costs may be reduced locally, but this is beyond our area of control.
By meeting supply demand and ensuring security of supply this will mean that NZ’s electricity pricing continues to be some of the most competitive in the world.
Will my land value increase or decrease as a result of the wind farm?
A registered land agent would be best placed to provide an opinion on this if you are interested.
Are you looking for farms/houses/land to rent/lease close to the wind farm site? For equipment storage or employee housing?
We will be once we know the project is proceeding.
Will any locals be upskilled to work at the wind farm while it’s being built?
There are likely to be opportunities with the contractors that are selected to build the wind farm.
Will there be a lack of tradespeople available to service local needs during construction?
This will depend on the quantity of people that decide to apply for jobs associated with the wind farm.
Will we still be able to use the Kaihiku hills for recreation and/or hunting?
Existing public access is expected to be retained. Hunting can continue with the permission of the landowner(s), and effective communication between hunters and the construction and operational teams will be important.
Who should people contact for more information?
You can email the team directly: info@kaihikuwindfarm.co.nz.
Subscribe to our e-newsletter to receive regular project updates: www.kaihikuwindfarm.co.nz/contact-us
We also have an enquiry form on our website that we actively monitor.