LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Paint big issue for wind farm 

Financial constraints meant secondhand turbines would be sourced from Europe for Pioneer Generation’s proposed wind farm near Roxburgh.

But spending $30,000 to repaint them so they were better camouflaged could seriously jeopardise the project, the company told the Central Otago District Council hearings panel yesterday.

The Alexandra-based company, which is owned by the Central Lakes Trust, plans to establish a small $1.45 million wind farm next to its hydro electric power station 15km east of Roxburgh.

An application for three wind turbines to be erected next to the Horseshoe Bend power station attracted 13 submissions, with four opponents including the Department of Conservation, which had ecological issues.

The planner’s report to the council recommended consent be granted subject to 34 conditions, including painting the white wind towers grey to camouflage them better.

But Pioneer Generation asset development manager Neil Gillespie said repainting the machines would have “serious implications” on the economic viability of the the proposal because of the cost and the potential implications of their performance.

Company chief executive Peter Dowling told the hearing that Pioneer Generation had been investigating wind generation for several years but struggled to meet the financial hurdles because of the costs of using new turbines.

Secondhand turbines were in demand in Eastern Europe and still had considerable life left in them.

He said the company would be looking at sourcing turbines between eight and 10 years old. It would refurbish them and expected another 12 to 15 years of use.

Electricity from the turbines would be linked to the existing Horseshoe Bend power station, before being fed into the existing 33kV transmission line.

The company hopes to start construction of what it considered a “low-risk pilot project” in January, and have it fully commissioned by April.

Each wind turbine is expected to produce 600kW and will be about 72m high.

The hearings panel reserved its decision.

By Aimee Wilson

The Southland Times

stuff.co.nz

26 September 2007

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon