Offshore wind power is generated from wind turbines installed out at sea following same the concept as onshore i.e. converting wind energy to electrical energy.

The electricity generated is then transmitted to a major onshore connection point through a series of cables, which is then distributed via national grid infrastructure to power homes, businesses, and industry.

Given NZ’s world class wind speeds especially off the west coast, we anticipate that offshore wind will complement the onshore resources - especially as the existing transmission networks and coal-fired power plants start to reach the end of their life.

Since the first 0.5MW turbines were installed in 1991, there has been significant growth. Current technology allows for 15MW turbines to be deployed offshore, whose blades extend to approximately 300m above sea level - just shy of the Sky Tower.

This advancement has resulted in significant increases in efficiency and reductions in cost.

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The first offshore wind farm came into operation in 1991 in Denmark. Since that time, many offshore wind farms have been developed across the world.

As of 2023, there are 44 operational projects in the UK and more globally. Through the industry’s development, the technology has become highly reliable and standardised.

The Government is currently working on developing a regulatory framework for offshore wind and aims to have this finalised by the end of 2024.

Whilst the regulatory framework is still under development, we understand that it will require project developers to apply for permits in order to undertake project activities.

Firstly, feasibility permits will be awarded to qualifying projects in order to undertake detailed site investigation works and data gathering.

Finally, commercial permits will be awarded which will allow the construction and operation of the wind farm. In order to be awarded these permits, project developers will need to meet various criteria relating to technical capability, financial capability, engagement with mana whenua and supporting the national interest.

Permits will impose conditions on projects including in relation to health and safety compliance and decommissioning obligations.

In addition to these offshore wind permits, projects will need to undertake a detailed assessment of environmental impacts and secure all necessary consents.

Offshore wind power will contribute to the transition away from fossil fuels which reduces emissions and helps to mitigate against climate change. The scale and generation profile offered by offshore wind can help to accelerate these goals.

However, like any large project we need to be conscious of the physical, biological, and social environment. We will undertake a detailed environmental impact assessment for a range of receptors, informed by relevant literature and site-specific baseline data collection, to assess potential effects from the construction, operation and decommissioning of the project. This assessment will be used to develop a plan for how these impacts can be managed and mitigated.

We will undertake a comprehensive impact assessment to properly assess the potential effects on commercial and recreational fisheries, and work constructively with the local fishing industry to mitigate potential impacts and develop a positive co-existence.

The rules about safety or exclusion zones for vessels and offshore renewables structures are yet to be determined by the regulators. However, in other jurisdictions, it is common for temporary 500 m safety zones to be implemented during construction and major maintenance activities. In addition, a small safety zone of 50 metres around each structure during the operational phase.

One of the benefits of offshore wind is that the visual impact can be lower than onshore developments.

We plan to develop our South Taranaki and Waikato projects >20km from the coast. From this distance and certain vantage points, the turbines will be visible on a clear day.

The image below shows the visual simulation for our South Taranaki Offshore Wind farm from Ōhawe Beach. You can visit our project websites to explore our visual simulations in more detail.

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We don't expect that the project will be audible from shore during the operation phase.

Wind speeds tend to increase as you move offshore, and it follows that turbines built further offshore should capture more wind energy.

However, as the distance to land increases, water depth, the cost of building and maintaining the turbines and transmitting the power back to shore also increases sharply, thus limiting the distance out to sea at which offshore wind projects will be built.

Offshore wind farm development will not only help our nation achieve its climate change goals but will also provide significant opportunities to regions in the form of employment, infrastructure improvement and the establishment of supply chain opportunities.

Offshore wind farms have the potential to create thousands of high-quality jobs for skilled workers and boost the economy of regions, some of which may be experiencing declines in their existing industries such as oil and gas. Synergies with other industries, such as aquaculture, may also be developed.

By supporting a reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity system, offshore wind will promote the growth of existing and new industries for a prosperous future.

Offshore wind projects have the potential to create significant new employment opportunities in a variety of roles. We currently have a team of people working on the development of the projects in a variety of disciplines including engineering, environment, project management and stakeholder engagement.

A significant number of jobs will be created during the construction phase, when the turbines are installed at site and connected to the grid. There will also be long-term job creation for the operations & maintenance phase. This will include a large number of technicians to maintain the turbines, in addition to office-based employees managing operational and corporate aspects.

Conservatively, we expect the South Taranaki offshore wind project to create 600 new employment opportunities through the project's lifecycle.

The Government is working on a regulatory framework now and we expect this will be completed by late 2024.

With that in place, feasibility permits are expected to be awarded in 2025, allowing developers to move to the next phase of detailed studies and surveys.

Following this, environmental impacts will be assessed, and engineering designs finalised such that initial projects can reach a final investment decision around the end of this decade.

Turbines could be operational in the early 2030's. These turbines are expected to have an operational life of 30-40 years.

Only around 30% of the energy consumed in Aotearoa is from renewable sources and our country has a commitment to reduce emissions and reliance on fossil fuels like oil, coal and natural gas.

As a result of the growing need for electricity due to electrification (vehicles, manufacturing, operations), Aotearoa needs even more clean energy than currently available to achieve net-zero targets.

Recent government forecasts show that New Zealand’s electricity demand is expected to be around 2.5 times more than current demand by 2050. That could require the development of more than 20GW of new renewables, or the equivalent of two Clyde dams or seven Waipipi onshore wind farms per year until 2050.

The lifespan of a turbine and associated steel structures is in the range of 30-40 years; however, it is longer for concrete components.

All major components are designed so that they will last at least for 35 years without risk of failure.

The decommissioning process generally involves the disassembly and removal of most or all of the project infrastructure. In some cases, part of infrastructure may be left on site if it is demonstrated that this achieves the best environmental outcome and is approved by the relevant regulators (i.e. where reefs have formed on foundations).

Most of the components used to construct turbines are fabricated from steel and are fully recyclable. Blades, which are made primarily of composites are the main exception at present. Research shows a number of industry projects are developing more recyclable blades. It is hoped that by the time our projects are built they shall be able to utilise these.