In July 2017, in a positive development for the wind industry, Tilt Renewables proposed 130MW Waverley Wind Farm in Taranaki was approved.

The South Taranaki District Council has granted the firm’s land use consent to build the farm, as well as a 13-kilometre, 110 kV transmission line from the site near Waverley on the Taranaki coast.

The consent was granted with standard conditions around monitoring bird fatalities, shadow flicker and noise generated by the turbines. Tilt has a 10-year lapse period in which to begin construction.

The 980-hectare site is located about six kilometres south-east of Patea.  The $325 million development with an expected annual output of 490 GWh, is well located to supply power to Wellington and Auckland.

The project would require a 13-kilometre 110 kV transmission line feeding into the grid at Transpower’s Waverley substation.