TrustPower planning Marlborough windfarm

TrustPower might pursue plans for a wind farm in Marlborough even if it fails in its bid to build a hydro electricity scheme on the Wairau River.

The company has previously plugged the idea of a wind farm complementing the hydro scheme, but has said wind is not an ideal stand-alone electricity generator because it is a "fickle resource".

However, TrustPower community relations manager Graeme Purches said if the Wairau hydro scheme did not gain resource consent there was still a 50-50 chance a wind farm development would go ahead.

TrustPower has been looking at three potential wind farm sights near Seddon, including a spot in the Seaview area which the company has monitored during the past 18 months using wind towers.

Mr Purches said if the $240 million Wairau River hydro scheme went ahead, a wind farm worth $150 million would be certain.

The wind farm would have up to 50 turbines and would generate 60 to 80 megawatts of power, the same output as the Wairau hydro scheme.

Mr Purches said if the hydro scheme went ahead it would allow national grid operator Transpower to defer some significant upgrades to the national grid.

Peak wind times in Marlborough do not correlate with heavy demand times for power, but if used in conjunction with hydro would make the region more than 100 per cent self sufficient.

Mr Purches said if the hydro scheme did not gain resource consent, upgrades to the national grid would have to go ahead and would mean electricity generated by a wind farm development would feed the national grid, "not just Marlborough".

He said TrustPower was looking at other potential wind farm sites in the South Island because Marlborough's wind flow was "very seasonal".

- nzpa