Mahinerangi gets go ahead

TrustPower is set to begin work on Mahinerangi wind farm, 70 km west of Dunedin. Construction of stage one of the wind farm will start in September 2010, and be complete by May 2011.

TrustPower is erecting 12 3-megawatt Vestas V90 wind turbines, giving a total generating capacity of 36 megawatts. The wind farm is forecast to produce 105 gigawatt-hours each year, which is enough power to supply approximately 13,000 Dunedin homes.

Mahinerangi Wind Farm will feed electricity directly into an existing transmission line used by the Waipori hydro scheme, and then through to the local Aurora Network.

“The Mahinerangi Wind Farm will allow TrustPower to make the best use of both wind and hydro resources, allowing us to get even better efficiency out of our Waipori hydro scheme. The new Wind Farm will also improve security of supply for Dunedin and free up electricity currently being imported into Dunedin from Roxburgh and the Waitaki system for use elsewhere,” says TrustPower’s Chief Executive, Mr Vince Hawksworth.

The synergy between these two generating schemes illustrates – at a regional level – what will be achieved on a national scale as wind energy is developed and operated in combination with existing hydro generation.

A recent report by the Electricity Commission raised concerns that without more investment in new generation now the electricity system may not have sufficient generating capacity to meet peak demand from 2012. This new concern adds to existing concerns that energy supplies are not sufficient to meet seasonal demand during dry years.

New wind farms increase the overall amount of energy available in the electricity system, allowing flexible hydro infrastructure and valuable water resources to be used more efficiently to meet peaks in demand. Essentially, the use of wind enables water to be saved in storage lakes, until the water is needed for meeting peaks in demand.

Ultimately, this synergy provides New Zealanders with a secure, low cost supply of electricity that is not affected by the increasing costs associated with fossil fuels and thermal generation.

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The value of wind energy - NZWEA's opinion

Over the next twelve months, New Zealand’s wind energy capacity is set to grow about 25%, as wind farms in the Waikato, Manawatu and Clutha come online. This growth follows on from a record 50% capacity growth in the 2009 calendar year.

Growth in generating capacity is simple to measure. Less easy to measure, but perhaps more important is what this means for New Zealanders.

Wind energy plays a critical role in minimising the risks associated with the supply and price of fuel for electricity generation - which is essential if New Zealand is to maximise its economic and productivity growth in coming years.

Currently New Zealand’s wind farms supply about 4% of our electricity, up from about 2.5% at the beginning of 2009. In the final quarter of 2009 quarter wind generation peaked at close to 5% of total generation.

This generation is helping to limit the impact of rising fossil fuel costs on electricity prices. Because wind energy is a price taker in the electricity market, it displaces more expensive generation, which is typically thermal generation. There is considerable uncertainty and risk around the availability and cost of fuel for thermal generation - and this translates into uncertainly about the future cost of electricity from thermal generation. Wind farms have no fuel costs, and with low and well-understood operating and maintenance costs they provide generators - and so consumers - with confidence about the cost of electricity over the lifespan of a wind farm.

In 2009, increasing wind generation, combined with full hydro lakes, resulted in renewable generation providing 73 per cent of total generation - the highest level of renewable generation since 2004. In line with high renewable generation, emissions from electricity generation during 2009 were down to their lowest level since 2002. Maintaining high levels of emissions-free renewable generation will play an important role in reducing the impact of carbon pricing on electricity prices, as the electricity sector is set to enter the Emissions Trading Scheme later this year.

At a local level, the development of new wind farms brings investment and jobs to regional economies. TrustPower expects the development of Mahinerangi, discussed above, to result in $12 million flowing directly into the local economy.

A case study examining the development of the 93MW Tararua Stage 3, in the Manawatu, presented at the recent Wind Energy Conference, provided insight into the benefits flowing through to the Manawatu economy from wind farm development and operation. During construction in 2006 and 2007, 80% of the civil construction spend ($13.5 million) was with local suppliers and 100 full-time equivalent jobs were created. $7 million was pumped into the local economy through salaries. In addition to generating a significant amount of electricity, the wind farm has also provided $1.2 million in royalties to landowners. As a more direct benefit to the local economy, last year Vestas, the company that operates the wind farm, spent $2.4 million with over 100 local companies in relation to Tararua 3 alone. Vestas also operates Stage 1 and Stage 2 of Tararua wind farm and the neighbouring Te Apiti wind farm.

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Wind energy round up

Marlborough’s first wind farm
Energy3 commissioned Marlborough's first wind farm, Weld Cone, in February.

The three-turbine wind farm supplies electricity into the local Marlborough Lines network, and was developed in a partnership between the landowners and Energy 3.
Read More …

Managing noise from wind farms
There is no doubt that sound from wind farms is one of the more emotive and debated effects of proposed wind farms. However, just like other sound sources, wind farm sound can be predicted, measured and managed using tools that provide agreed methods and criteria.

A new NZ Standard provides communities, councils and developers robust, up-to-date and practical tools for assessing and managing sound from wind farms. It replaces a 1998 Standard dealing with the same issue.

The new Standard was created by a Committee established by Standards New Zealand. The Committee included representatives of local authority and community interests, experts in acoustics, practitioners in planning, resource management and environmental health, and wind farm developers.
Read More …

Turitea hearing comes to a close
The Board of Inquiry hearing for Mighty River Power’s proposed Turitea wind farm in the Manawatu came to a close in March.
Read More …

Central Wind approved
Meridian Energy is a step closer to building a wind farm north of Taihape, in the Central North Island, with the Environment Court confirming consent for Project Central Wind.
Read More …

New wind farm reduces diesel consumption in Antarctica
The Ross Island wind farm in Antarctica makes use of a cool wind to supply electricity to Scott Base and McMurdo station in Antarctica.
Read More … 

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In the news and on the net

NZ turbine step closer to certification

NZ turbine manufacturer Windflow Technology is a step closer to achieving international certification for its 500kW wind turbine. Independent certifying body Lloyds Register recently approved the nacelle and rotor assembly of the Windflow 500. Windflow now just needs approval of the tower design to complete certification.

Windflow is seeking Class 1A certification from the International Electrotechnical Committee for the turbine, meaning it would be suitable for use at the windiest and most turbulent sites and be capable of surviving gusts of over 250 km/h.
Find out more …

NZ-based Turningpoint wins US contract
NZ-based company Turningpoint has won a $4.2 million contract to supply condition monitoring equipment to US wind generator Edison Mission.

Turningpoint’s equipment continuously monitors turbine components such as bearings in the main drive train, enabling the operator to determine when repair or replacement is required.

Turningpoint also supplies condition monitoring equipment to Clipper Wind Power, and have installed equipment on some of the turbines at White Hill wind farm, in Southland.

Turningpoint was successful in winning this contract against several international companies.
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No slow-down for global wind energy
The Global Wind Energy Council’s annual report on the wind energy industry reveals that wind energy remains an inherently attractive investment, even in the face of a global recession and the financial crisis.

The world's wind power capacity grew by 31% in 2009, adding 37.5 gigawatts (GW) to bring total installations up to 157.9 GW. A third of these additions were made in China. In the Europe just over 10GW of wind was installed, making it the leading source of new electricity-generating technology in the region, ahead of natural gas. GWEC predicts that in 2014, five years from now, global wind capacity will stand at 409 GW.

To put these numbers in perspective, New Zealand’s total electricity capacity, from all sources, is around 9 GW. New Zealand’s wind power capacity followed international trends in 2009, growing by just over 50% during the year with a record 171 megawatts (MW) installed at three wind farms. Wind energy now provides about 4% of New Zealand's annual electricity supply.
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Wind energy reduces electricity prices, reveals European study
A report prepared by the independent consultancy Pöyry AS on behalf of the European Wind Energy Association found that wind power reduces electricity prices and CO2 emissions. The report reviewed the findings of case studies in Germany, Denmark and Belgium, which show electricity prices were reduced by between 3 and 23 Euros per MWh depending on the amount of wind power on the system.

A similar trend is seen in New Zealand in the Manawatu, where wind reduces spot prices drop by an average of 10 per cent. This reduction comes about because wind
energy is a price-taker in the New Zealand electricity market, so it always displaces more expensive generation.
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Report gives wind energy a clean bill of health
An international panel of experts has released a report based on a review of a large body of scientific literature on sound and health effects, and specifically with regard to sound produced by wind turbines. After extensive review, analysis and discussion, the panel has concluded that sounds or vibrations emitted from wind turbines have no adverse effect on human health.
Find out more…

Conference highlights wind energy’s contribution to local economies
New Zealand’s wind energy industry gathered in Palmerston North recently for the annual Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition, organised by the New Zealand Wind Energy Association. Over 285 people attended and 35 companies were involved in sponsoring or exhibiting at the three day event.
Find out more about the conference…

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