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Milestone for Kaiwera Downs I wind farm build
2 May 2023 – Construction of Kaiwera Downs I wind farm is half way through, just six short months since ground was broken on the project. In a key milestone, the 67m turbine blades and other turbine components arrived in South Port in Bluff this week.
• Foundations for each turbine are well underway, ready for blades, towers, and nacelles to be delivered
• Delivery of the main components to site will start mid May
• Construction of the $115m Stage I of the wind farm is on track for completion in October this year – adding enough renewable energy to power around 21,000 households or run 66,000 EVs
“Kaiwera Downs I is on track to be generating renewable electricity within six months’ time,” said Mercury’s GM Portfolio, Phil Gibson.
“All on-site roads, crane pads, and turbine foundations have been completed ready for the turbines to go up from the end of this month – that’s when you can really see the progress.”
The main components will be delivered to the site by truck, and it’s a big job
“The longest load is the blades at around 67m and heaviest load will be the base towers that weigh in at around 75 tonnes, so shout out to the team at McNulty’s who are going to be driving this precious cargo from Bluff to the Kaiwera Downs Wind Farm.
The size of the components means they’ll travel different routes: all will go through Invercargill, but the blades will travel through Edendale while the towers and nacelles will travel through Gore due to the weight of the loads.
“Safety for other road users and the communities we will travel through is a priority,” confirmed Phil. “We have scheduled truck movements which will commence mid May and continue through until the middle of June, usually during the early hours to minimise traffic disruption
“Construction commenced in October 2022 and the smooth delivery to date is a tribute to our delivery partners Vestas, Higgins, Electronet and Powernet, along with the Gore District Council, local businesses who have supported our teams, community members and landowners.”
Infrastructure to send the electricity out to the grid is already in place, with underground electrical wiring installed, and the switchroom connecting the wind farm to the grid ready for action
Mercury is initially committing $115m to the 43MW Stage I phase of the project. This lifts Mercury’s total commitment to new renewable wind generation to almost $600 million since 2019, including Turitea in Manawatū that will be New Zealand’s biggest wind farm (to be commissioned next month). These wind farms are part of a significant renewable growth pipeline for Mercury, with several other renewable projects under investigation as the transition to a lower carbon economy progresses. This includes Kaiwera Downs Wind Farm II, the second part of this wind farm that will complete the 240MW that has been consented on the site.
ENDS
For media queries, please contact Katy Scoullar, Communications and Community Engagement Manager 027 210 5337 // mercurycommunications@mercury.co.nz
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ABOUT MERCURY NZ LIMITED
We generate electricity from 100% renewable sources – hydro, geothermal and wind. We also sell utility services to our customers through our retail brands – Mercury, Trustpower and GLOBUG. We’re listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange and the Australian Stock Exchange with foreign exempt listed status. We’re listed on both exchanges with the ticker symbol ‘MCY’. The New Zealand Government (the Crown) holds a legislated 51% shareholding in the Company.
Visit us at: www.mercury.co.nz
