Generating buzz for wind farms
Waikato the ‘goldilocks’ region for renewable energy
An international group is looking at installing large-scale wind farms off Waikato’s west coast and also solar energy panels above the surface of north Waikato lakes.
That’s the word from Waikato Regional Council’s principal strategic advisor Blair Dickie, who says Waikato is being viewed very favourably for such investments due to its wind and sunshine assets, and accessibility to good power distribution networks.
‘‘It’s pretty much a Goldilocks region,’’ Dickie told Stuff.
‘‘There’s certainly a lot of good that comes together in the Waikato.’’
A report by Dickie to Thursday’s climate action committee hui notes there are already three big solar energy projects being proposed for Waikato and two new wind farm projects being progressed.
Wel Networks has also announced plans to build a storage battery at Rotowaro, further burnishing the region’s renewable energy credentials.
But Dickie also notes a consortium – involving the UK’s BlueFloat, Australia’s Energy Estate and New Zealand’s Elemental Group – has also identified several opportunities for marine wind farms off the region’s west coast and for solar farms at ‘‘degraded’’ north Waikato lakes.
‘‘The scale of the wind projects is large – in the gigawatt range, potentially occupying hundreds of square kilometres in the exclusive economic zone and coastal marine area, where the regional council is the consenting authority.
‘‘Any transmission infrastructure from the exclusive economic zone would also fall within the regional council’s functions as it would transition through the coastal marine area,’’ Dickie’s report said.
Anchored wind turbines would have smaller environmental footprints and could co-exist with the likes of Maui dolphins and low-impact ‘‘commercial recreational fishing’’. Standing structures could also be used and, if appropriately designed, would have ‘‘reduced impact on sensitive species’’.
Meanwhile, Elemental Group is said to be interested in using the surface of ‘‘degraded’’ lakes in north Waikato to site solar farms, with power able to be used for lake rehabilitation through aeration of the water and providing shade which would help reduce algal blooms.
Dickie told Stuff interest in renewable energy opportunities in Waikato is fuelled by New Zealand’s drive towards using 100 per cent renewable electricity generation sources and the region’s plentiful wind and sunshine.
There were also good regional policies in place that supported renewable energy developments, he said.
Besides meeting local needs, extra power could be used to generate ‘‘e-fuels’’ for export such as hydrogen power and ammonia, Dickie added.
He confirmed the consortium has talked directly to the council about both the offshore turbine and solar panels on lakes ideas.
The report noted that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment had identified Waikato as one of four regions with ‘‘exceptional’’ wind and solar resources.
But Dickie has stressed Waikato has better access to the electricity distribution grid, giving it a strong potential advantage as a site for investment.
However, Massey University’s emeritus Professor of renewable energy and climate mitigation Ralph Sims sounded a note of caution over offshore turbines.
‘‘Offshore wind farms in New Zealand are far more expensive
than on land wind farms.
‘‘We’ve got so many opportunities on land that it doesn’t make sense to go offshore yet,’’ Sims told Stuff.
A solar energy specialist Professor Justin Hodgkiss, from the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, says wind and solar power will have a big part to play in helping New Zealand towards a carbon-neutral goal.
While there was a lot of renewable energy generation in the country now, hydroelectricity was a bit much ‘‘tapped out’’ for development and more sources, such as wind and solar power, were needed.
‘‘We need to expand that renewable grid.’’
Electrifying transport and industry, in particular, was key to making us more energy efficient.
But he noted ‘‘it’s never going to be a one thing silver bullet’’ and that there were potential ‘‘environmental impacts that need to be explored’’ with any wind and solar developments.
Waikato University’s Professor Mike Duke, who used to run a solar energy company, said: ‘‘I’m a solar fan, so any increase in solar in New Zealand would be good’’.