In the wind

The sun may be sinking on Taranaki’s fossil-fuel industries, but another offshore resource one that is fully renewable is looming on the horizon.

- RICHARD WOODD

A juggernaut is coming to Aotearoa from the north. It’s a massive renewable energy industry called offshore wind farming, and if its promoters are to be believed, it could yet pump tens of billions into our economy, and provide thousands of jobs.

The Global Wind Energy Council apparently refers to New Zealand as “the Saudi Arabia of wind”, due to our location in the “roaring forties” latitude. But it’s already more than hot air – prospective developers have been engaging with Māori and other stakeholders since 2019. And the government has begun work on a regulatory regime that will eventually be needed to oversee it all.

According to Taranaki energy consultancy Elemental Group, the development of offshore wind farms is likely to provide jobs for between 1000 and 4000 people, either directly or indirectly, within the first decade. Once all the projects are operational, which could be by 2050, operating and maintaining them could require between 2500 and 8300 employees.

Around the world, interest in wind power has surged, as countries grapple with their responses to climate change. Inevitably, the industry has also faced scrutiny from environmental campaigners who claim it is not without its faults. But that level of scrutiny has yet to be seen here.

Justine Gilliland, who now manages a partnership between Elemental and Spanish offshore wind developer BlueFloat Energy, saw the wind wave coming in early 2019 when she was chief executive of regional development agency Venture Taranaki. “I heard over lunch that the Dutch were transitioning and leveraging their oil and gas expertise for a low-emissions future. And I thought, wow, that’s something we could do in Taranaki, with our similar skill sets and existing infrastructure.”