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WEL NETWORKS – TE UKU WIND PARK – AWARD WINNING PROJECT OFFICIALLY OPENED

The $200 million, 28 turbines Te Uku Wind Park near Raglan was officially opened by Prime Minister John Key in February 2011 and is now delivering renewable energy to homes in the Waikato Region.

The wind park is a joint venture between Meridian Energy, which owns and operates the turbines, and WEL Networks, which owns the line that delivers power to the National Grid and the western part of WEL’s network.

Simon Berry and Jen Vella acted for WEL Networks in relation to both the Te Uku Wind Park and the Western Network Upgrade Project, both of which were consented without the need for an Environment Court hearing.

The Te Uku Wind Park was a finalist at the 2011 Deloitte Energy Awards in two categories (Innovation in Electricity Award and Environmental Excellence Award) and won the Environmental Excellence Award.

John van Brink, G M Asset Investment and Growth, WEL Networks, comments:

“When WEL looked at developing the Te Uku wind farm (now owned by Meridian Energy Limited), Simon Berry and the team took charge of the consenting process, developing WEL’s position and collating evidence and expert witnesses for the hearing. Simon managed the hearing process on WEL’s behalf, the project was consented with conditions supported by WEL, and the project remains the only one to have been consented without an Appeal hearing.

“In tandem WEL engaged Simon and the team to manage the consenting process for the 23km transmission line route that connects the wind farm. Despite the large number of landowners involved, and the association of the line with the wind farm, the consent applications were processed to ensure that this project, the largest distribution lines project in New Zealand in 2010, was built ahead of time and to budget. WEL has confidence in Simon’s ability to meet our needs and understand our requirements, an important facet when it comes to timely project delivery, to meet the electricity demands of the Waikato.”


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