Mercury Energy's Mahinerangi wind farm expansion has been given fast-track approval. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY Construction may be under way by the end of the year for the second stage of the Mahinerangi wind farm. The wind farm was granted approval by a Fast-track Approvals Act panel last week in one of the less controversial projects to have passed through the process. Only a couple of residents submitted to the application and the fast-track process took nine months, though approval was given four and a-half months after the independent expert panel commenced. No hearings took place. The full wind farm site covers about 1700ha on the eastern foothills of Lammermoor Range, about 5km north of Lake Mahinerangi and 50km west of Dunedin. It is the third wind farm proposal to get the go-ahead in the South the past few years. The second stage of the Kaiwera Downs project is expected to be completed in the next couple of months and Contact Energy gained approval for a large wind farm in Slopedown, near Wyndham, in April. The Mahinerangi wind farm expansion, also called Puke Kapo Hau, adds 44 turbines to the 12 of the first stage, which opened in 2011. The wind farm, once completed, would generate enough energy to power about 78,000 homes. Mercury Energy generation development general manager Matt Tolcher said the project would progress through final development activities in preparation for a final investment decision. Investment was anticipated to be between $500 million and $600m. Construction could start by the end of the year and could be completed in three years. The panel reviewing the application said the wind farm project would have significant national and regional benefits, boosting the renewable energy supply and creating employment opportunities during its construction period. The panel’s decision included a set of conditions Mercury must abide by. ‘‘Mahinerangi Wind Farm was commissioned in 2011 and has been a strong performer after 15 years of operation; we’re aiming to build on that success with Puke Kapo Hau,’’ Mr Tolcher said. Mercury had two other wind farms under construction and on track to be completed in early 2027 — stage two of the Kaiwera Downs Wind Farm, near Gore, and Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm in Northland. ‘‘We are on track to deliver on our plan of adding 3.5 terawatt-hours of new generation by 2030, the equivalent of powering an additional 430,000 homes, through leveraging our strengths in wind and geothermal, and our project pipeline,’’ Mr Tolcher said. ‘‘Our contributions are supporting the fastest rate of renewable generation development in history, helping power economic growth over the next two decades.’’ Regional Development Minister Shane Jones said the project represented a significant investment in Otago and would contribute to the region’s economic growth while supporting New Zealand’s transition to a more secure and sustainable energy future. Energy Minister Simeon Brown said the government’s goal was abundant, affordable and reliable power for all New Zealanders. ‘‘We are fixing the basics and building the future by taking key actions to increase energy supply and put downward pressure on prices,’’ he said. This was the 26th project to receive approval through the fast-track process and the sixth centred on renewable energy generation.
