BlueFloat, partners table plan for 1.4-GW offshore wind farm in New Zealand

Spain’s BlueFloat Energy and its consortium partners Energy Estate of Australia and New Zealand-based Elemental Group on Friday unveiled plans to build an up to 1.4-GW offshore wind farm in New Zealand as part of a wider investment in the island country.

Dubbed Waikato, the scheme will be the second offshore wind proposal by the partners presented this month following their initial 900-MW South Taranaki project. Both of them will be executed through a joint venture that the three companies formed last year to develop four offshore wind projects in New Zealand with a potential capacity of up to 5 GW.

Calling for a multibillion-dollar investment, the Waikato wind farm will be built in the Pacific Ocean, off South Auckland and West Waikato, Aotearoa. The capacity will be installed in phases, the first one of which will create a 250-MW plant using fixed bottom technology 22 kilometres (13.7 miles) off the West Waikato coast. Phase 2 will deploy floating foundations to add between 800 MW and 1,150 MW of turbines located west or north of Phase 1.

The project partners are currently conducting feasibility studies and intend to begin construction before 2030.

Once in operation, the offshore wind complex will generate electricity for around 700,000 homes.

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