Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm

CLIENT

Mercury

LOCATION

Northland

RILEY TEAM

Luke Gordon, Simon Orgias, Don Tate, Marcus Herrmann and Jericho Masigan

THE BRIEF

This project in Omamari, Northland entails a wind farm of 19 turbines across a 2,378ha property. It provides for large turbines up to 220m in height to tip-of-blade.

Riley was responsible for compiling civil, geotechnical and site contamination technical reports and drawings to support a resource consent application to Kaipara District Council. We prepared and presented expert evidence at the council consent hearing.

We were also commissioned to undertake developed design and prepare tender documentation for the balance of plant (i.e. roads, foundations, hardstand areas) for 11 turbines. This included geometric and earthworks design for access roads, turbine construction platforms and site facilities, pavement design and stormwater infrastructure.

Riley managed the geotechnical site investigations to support the resource consent and developed design phases.

THE OUTCOME

Preliminary design involved 16.5km of roading and 750,000m3 cut to fill.

The council released its section 42A planning report in July 2021, which supported the development including the engineering aspects. The council hearing was cut short due to a COVID-19 lockdown. The Wind Farm was granted resource consent in March 2022 with developed design and tender documents completed in November 2022.