Offshore wind farm that can power half million homes to be built

PHOTO: Visual simulations of the farm location of the wind farm off the coast of South Taranaki. Photo: South Taranaki Offshore Wind

A consortium of international and local firms have announced plans to build a large offshore wind farm off the south Taranaki coast.

The 900 megawatt joint venture is the first of four projects planned by BlueFloat Energy, Energy Estate and Elemental Group, and could power nearly half a million homes.

The project, which would see turbines fixed to the sea floor, is in the feasibility stage with any construction to start by the end of the decade.

It would be 22 kilometres off the coast and cover 230 square kilometres of ocean.

The joint venture has released visual simulations of how the farm should look from the shore.

The New Zealand Super Fund and a Danish investment firm are also eying the area for a large windfarm, with an estimated capital expenditure of $5 billion.

Analysts question whether the cost of offshore wind projects makes the project feasible.