Meridian Energy is proposing to construct a wind farm between Omihi and Greta Valley in North Canterbury. The Environment Court granted consent for the project in April 2013. The proposed wind farm could have up to 31 turbines.
Electricity security is an ongoing issue for the upper South Island, with only 137 MW of installed capacity, a peak demand of 1,000 MW and limited transmission capacity from further south.
If constructed, Project Hurunui would provide the upper South Island with additional local generation, on an annual basis producing the same amount of electricity as used by about 33,000 homes. This is equivalent to the number of homes in Nelson and Blenheim combined.
At Meridian's request, the resource consent application was directly refered to the Environment Court.
More information
- Project information on Meridian Energy’s website
- Environment Court decision on the Hurunui District Council website.
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