Renewable energy developer and generator Manawa Energy has secured the rights to develop a circa 230-megawatt wind generation project in the central North Island, between Taihape and Waiouru.

Manawa Energy Chief Executive David Prentice says Project Huriwaka was a well-known and highly regarded site for a potential windfarm.

'It's exciting news. Project Huriwaka ticks a lot of the big boxes in that we already know it is a high quality wind resource, convenient access to transmission, good construction characteristics and is relatively close to significant demand for electricity.”

If it proceeded, the wind development was expected to generate around 800 gigawatt hours of electricity each year – enough to power 100,000 average New Zealand homes.

Design work on what the wind farm might look like had not been completed, but the site has previously been consented for around 50 wind turbines across 47 square kilometres of privately-owned rural land.

Prentice says Project Huriwaka was a key initiative in Manawa Energy's ~970-megawatt pipeline of new, renewable wind and solar development options.

'We know Aotearoa New Zealand needs a huge amount of investment in renewable generation over the coming decades and projects like this align with our strategy and will ensure we are playing our part in meeting the rising tide of demand for electricity.”

He says the full development of the project was expected to take at least three years.

'Although it is great to be talking about Project Huriwaka, there is a heap of work still to be done.

'Our indicative timeline is reliant on the findings of project studies and assessments, feedback from consultation, consenting timelines and market dynamics. We have secured the key land access rights and we are now under way with iwi and stakeholder consultation, design, environmental assessments and network connection activity.”