{"id":317912,"date":"2026-03-07T16:47:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T16:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/317912\/"},"modified":"2026-03-07T16:47:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T16:47:12","slug":"inside-mercury-energys-287m-kaiwaikawe-wind-farm-project-near-dargaville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/317912\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Mercury Energy\u2019s $287m Kaiwaikawe wind farm project near Dargaville"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past two years, crews have built nearly 15 kilometres of internal roads and cut new access tracks across steep, previously rough terrain that\u2019s now engineered to carry oversize trucks transporting components up to 90 tonnes.<\/a><\/p>\n

The convoy movements of parts from Northport to the project site 12 km north-west of Dargaville, have been closely followed,<\/a> residents watching late\u2011night transports along a route that required trimming trees, widening corners and strengthening bridges. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a mission,\u201d Bell said. Trial runs early on identified multiple pinch points where trees had to be removed. <\/p>\n

Where necessary, the project paid for replanting and, in one case, purchased a house on the route to secure safe access for the largest loads.<\/p>\n

With foundations now poured and paddock excavations completed to install underground cables, the site is preparing for its most visible phase. <\/p>\n

Work began on assembling the first turbine tower about a fortnight ago, with full assembly to take about a week. <\/p>\n

The farm is expected to begin generating electricity in mid\u2011year and reach full output by the end of 2027, delivering about 221GWh annually \u2014 enough to power 27,000 homes.<\/p>\n

Despite the size of the machinery, noise is expected to be minimal. Bell said the final sound level from the operating turbines would be low: \u201cIn reality, it\u2019ll be less than that heat pump going\u201d. <\/p>\n

Noise modelling and compliance fall under the project\u2019s consent requirements, but his own explanation reflects how turbine sound is often misunderstood.<\/p>\n

Wildlife concerns \u2014 especially over bittern, a nationally endangered species in the area \u2014 were prominent during consenting<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Bell said monitoring has identified at least seven male bittern. Protection will include high-fenced corridors through wetland sections of the access route to prevent birds crossing the road. <\/p>\n

As for turbine operation, Bell said blades are set much higher than the flight paths typically used by birds. <\/p>\n

\"TheThe Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm substation. Photo \/ Sarah Curtis<\/p>\n

The project includes a new on\u2011site substation and a transmission line that will carry electricity from the farm across the Dargaville landscape for the national grid. <\/p>\n

Overseas and New Zealand contractors are involved. Local firms have played key roles, with Higgins delivering civil works, concrete being produced onsite by Firths and brought in from their Dargaville plant, ElectroNet handling electrical systems, and Northpower building the transmission connection. <\/p>\n

Australian Tiana Story, who has installed Vestas turbines across the ditch for four years, is the site installation supervisor, sharing her practical experience.<\/p>\n

She also emphasises the shared undertaking between Vestas and staff from NZ firm Smiths Construction. <\/p>\n

As public interest in the project has grown, so too has online debate. The Northern Advocate put some of the criticisms to Mercury\u2019s principal project manager Glen Twining:<\/p>\n

Bittern, bird strike and wildlife protection<\/p>\n

Comments such as \u201cSomeone warn the birds\u201d reflect concerns about the bittern population in the area – concerns initially shared by The Department of Conservation (DoC)<\/a> which opposed the project until negotiating improved mitigation measures.<\/p>\n

Mercury says bittern numbers on the site have remained stable. <\/p>\n

Mitigation required through consenting include bittern fencing, speed reductions, pest control and environmental enhancement work, as well as a Bittern Fund (reportedly $640K) \u201cto support conservation activities in the local area\u201d. <\/p>\n

On general bird strike, Mercury says incidents at New Zealand wind farms are mostly limited to introduced species, with only \u201ctwo individuals\u201d of threatened native species recorded nationwide.<\/p>\n

\"NegotiationsNegotiations with the Department of Conservation included Mercury promising to pay $640K into a Bittern Fund to benefit the immediate area’s population of the endangered birds. Photo \/ Gavin Klee<\/p>\n

Noise<\/p>\n

Some critics question how loud the turbines will be.<\/p>\n

Mercury says: \u201cAll New Zealand\u2019s wind farms must comply with strict noise\u2011related resource consent conditions\u201d and the company\u2019s Noise Management Plan was \u201ca key consideration\u201d during consenting. <\/p>\n

While wind turbines may be audible at times, the level of sound heard at a nearby house will not be out of place with other sounds in the environment.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s turbines are \u201csignificantly quieter\u201d than earlier generation ones. <\/p>\n

Recycling, lifespan and materials footprint<\/p>\n

Some critics describe turbines as \u201ca money pit\u2026 expensive to decommission\u201d and posing \u201crecycling challenges\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mercury says the wind farm is designed to operate for 30 years before being decommissioned, refurbished or repowered. Components are supplied by Vestas, which is \u201cinvestigating new recycling pathways. <\/p>\n

According to Vestas, its turbines are currently at least 85% recyclable or re-usable, the remaining challenge mostly lying in the recycling of wind turbine blades, which are largely composed of epoxy resin and glass fibre. Vestas is aiming for 100% blade recyclability by 2030.<\/p>\n

On concrete use, Mercury says each turbine foundation contains \u201capproximately 800 cubic meters of concrete\u201d, mostly produced on site. <\/p>\n

The company donated to Trees That Count to help \u201creplace\u201d trees removed, though \u201conly a small number needed to be replaced\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"SmithsSmiths Construction, working with Vestas, has begun installing wind turbines at Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm. Photo \/ Sarah Curtis\"WindWind turbine blades have a serrated edge to help direct the wind across them. Photo \/ Sarah Curtis<\/p>\n

Costs, subsidies and electricity prices<\/p>\n

Some residents ask: \u201cYay \u2014 does that mean cheaper power?\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mercury says many factors affect electricity prices, but \u201coverall, renewable energy is lower cost \u2026 and helps with security of supply\u201d.<\/p>\n

On claims that \u201cpower users subsidise wind farms\u201d, which are \u201cmore expensive than they\u2019re worth\u201d, Mercury says it is funding the development \u201cthrough our existing balance sheet\u201d.<\/p>\n

While Mercury\u2019s capital investment in the project is high, operational costs are low over its expected lifespan. Technology improvements \u201callow us to generate more energy\u201d from modern turbines.<\/p>\n

Kaiwaikawe\u2019s installed capacity will be 77 MW, generating about 221 GWh per year \u2014 enough to power 27,000 homes.<\/p>\n

Mercury cites research showing NZ wind turbines repay their lifecycle carbon emissions \u201cafter just 1.5 years of operation\u201d. <\/p>\n

\"VestasVestas site installation supervisor Tiana Story, explains to visiting media the process of installing a wind turbine. Photo \/ Sarah Curtis<\/p>\n

Transport impacts and fossil\u2011fuelled vehicles<\/p>\n

Critics warn the turbines will \u201chammer the roads\u201d and the componentry is \u201chugely expensive\u201d to transport. <\/p>\n

Mercury says transport costs are commercially sensitive but loads range from 27 to 90 tonnes. Road and bridge upgrades were carried out, and specialised transport units distribute weight \u201cacross multiple axles\u201d to minimise road damage. <\/p>\n

On transport emissions, Mercury says there are currently no electric alternatives for moving turbine components, but \u201cMercury\u2019s own vehicle fleet is either fully electric or hybrid\u201d.<\/p>\n

The wind farm itself \u201cwill not rely on fossil fuels to operate\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"KaiwaikaweKaiwaikawe Wind Farm site manager Mark Bell at the base of the first turbine being installed. Additional sections of the tower, yet to be added, lie nearby. Photo \/ Sarah Curtis<\/p>\n

Manufacturing and local industry<\/p>\n

Some critics questioned the reliance on overseas (mainly Chinese) manufacturing of wind farm componentry. Mercury says: \u201cWind farm manufacturing in New Zealand is not at the scale where it could support a wind farm project like Kaiwaikawe\u201d. <\/p>\n

Why wind farms?<\/p>\n

Some claim overseas experience shows turbines are inefficient. <\/p>\n

Mercury says: \u201cWind farms have been a part of New Zealand\u2019s energy landscape for almost 30 years. They help keep the lights on and give us more than one way to generate renewable energy\u201c.<\/p>\n

Twining pointed to a substantial amount of independent studies and reports on the demand for wind energy, including information on the NZ Wind Energy Association website and Transpower\u2019s live data showing wind energy\u2019s contribution to national electricity capacity.<\/p>\n

Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years\u2019 experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Over the past two years, crews have built nearly 15 kilometres of internal roads and cut new access…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":317913,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[172175,21045,6326,1568,23155,41090,28167,3233,36652,5904,2944,172176,10138,3180,111,139,44182,69,45642,3263,801,47788,213,128086,131927,10000,2963],"class_list":{"0":"post-317912","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-287m","9":"tag-above","10":"tag-biggest","11":"tag-construction","12":"tag-dargaville","13":"tag-energys","14":"tag-enters","15":"tag-farm","16":"tag-farmland","17":"tag-final","18":"tag-inside","19":"tag-kaiwaikawe","20":"tag-mercury","21":"tag-near","22":"tag-new-zealand","23":"tag-newzealand","24":"tag-northwest","25":"tag-nz","26":"tag-phase","27":"tag-project","28":"tag-rising","29":"tag-rolling","30":"tag-sports","31":"tag-turbines","32":"tag-twelve","33":"tag-wind","34":"tag-zealands"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=317912"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317912\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/317913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=317912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=317912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=317912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}