22 Jul 2008

New wind farm announced by Contact Energy

8:19 am on 22 July 2008

Contact Energy is planning a new $500 million wind farm in southern Hawke's Bay.

The proposed wind farm at Waitahora would be up to 177 megawatts in size, with up to 65 turbines.

It would generate enough electricity for up to 86,000 houses.

Contact Energy says it has signed a land use agreement with a private land owner to allow the development of the wind farm.

The company expects to lodge a resource consent application for the project in the second half of this year.

The wind farm would take about two years to build. Contact plans to have it generating electricity in 2013.