Vestas turbines, which will be used at Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm in Northland.
Vestas turbines, which will be used at Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm in Northland.
Northland’s first wind farm will put Kaipara on the map for having the second-highest structures nationwide after Auckland’s iconic 328m Sky Tower.
Twelve 206m tall turbines are to be the feature of the $287 million Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm located 12km northwest of Dargaville.
The turbines will be the largest in the country and will allow the 77-megawatt wind farm to generate enough renewable electricity to power about 27,000 homes – the equivalent of the Far North’s households.
The turbines will be transported in shipments nearly 100m long from Marsden Point to the site more than 110km away.
Mercury chief executive Stew Hamilton and Energy Minister Simon Watts breaking ground for the Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm project.
Site works are under way for Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm. Photo / Higgins
Those also present for the ceremony included Northland MP Grant McCallum; Danish manufacturer Vestas, which is supplying its V162-6.4 MW wind turbines for the first time in New Zealand; Pāmu, Northpower Kaipara District Council and local iwi Te Roroa.
Hamilton said the ceremony was a chance to recognise everyone who has been involved so far.
Watts was pleased to see the renewable energy project move into its next phase.
“New Zealand needs more abundant and affordable renewable energy to keep households and businesses moving.”
Hamilton outlined how the project provided more than just bragging rights about having the second-highest structures in the country.
He said security of supply was the priority for the sector currently and Mercury could contribute to the solution by building renewables quickly.
Kaiwaikawe and another two renewable projects Mercury has under construction are expected to grow the country’s power supply by about 2%.
“That is pretty significant number,” Hamilton said, “considering the growth of electricity in New Zealand has been flat for the last 20 years and is just starting to take off now.”
Economic growth was the next advantage through job creation, as 300 people would be involved overall.
“About 150 people will be working on the Kaiwaikawe site at any one time,” Hamilton said.
“That’s a really significant project for the next couple of years that injects some employment and dollars into the local economy.”
First generation is expected in mid-2026, with full generation by the end of 2026.
