The Hokonui Wind Farm project has completed the investigation phase and has lodged an application with Transpower to connect to the national grid.
An application for referral under the Fast-track Approvals Act is to be processed shortly.
The project is a partnership between Hokonui Energy and Hokonui Rūnanga.
Hokonui Energy chairman Ross Copland said the wind farm would comprise up to 83 turbines across about 11,000ha of farm and forest land.
The site was carefully selected to avoid protected landscapes and features.
Located between the existing White Hill and Kaiwera Downs Wind Farms, the site has been subject to a three-year monitoring programme to verify the wind resource meets the threshold necessary to proceed.
‘‘In renewable energy development the ‘fuel’ is the sun or the wind,’’ Mr Copland said.
‘‘The quality of that fuel makes the biggest difference to the final cost of electricity produced.
‘‘The Hokonui Wind Farm is among the best sites in New Zealand and far exceeds global benchmarks for onshore wind farm developments.
‘‘Assuming we can achieve our target build cost metrics, the project will deliver very competitive electricity pricing.’’
Total construction spend would be in the order of $1.5 billion.
Investors would be sought to finance construction if consents were granted.
The site would make use of existing grid infrastructure rather than requiring major new transmission.
The company had worked with a landscape architect to avoid sensitive areas rather than maximising generation at all costs.
‘‘What we’ve tried to do is front foot the concerns we know come up with wind farms,’’ Mr Copland said
Once operational the wind farm will generate around 1905GWh per year — sitting between the Roxburgh and Clyde dams in output — enough to power around 238,000 homes.
Hokonui Rūnanga manager Terry Nicholas said the project was about creating infrastructure that could support the region’s future and contribute to the national energy transition, in a way that was consistent with its values and recognised the importance of partnership and long-term community benefit.
Mr Copland was also heavily involved in a cable car project in Queenstown and was offering governance and oversight across a number of projects, with a dedicated team leading day-to-day delivery on Hokonui, the company said.
