Mercury has confirmed it will build a $287 million wind farm northwest of Dargaville, using the largest and tallest wind turbines in the country.

Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm will produce 77 megawatts (MW), or enough power for 27,000 homes, when completed at the end of 2026.

It will be the first wind farm in Northland, adding to the region’s growing renewable energy zone.

Located 3km inland from Omamari, the wind farm will feature 12 turbines in two clusters. Each tower will be 125m high, with the turbine tips reaching 206m and 162m wide.

Mercury executive general manager of generation development Matt Tolcher said the Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm was part of Mercury’s high-quality renewable energy generation pipeline.

“We’re looking forward to kicking off construction on Kaiwaikawe in early 2025 and are already focused on how we can be a positive part of the Northland community.”

The impact included establishing an annual community fund to support groups and communities around the wind farm, he said.

The $30,000-a-year fund will be open for business mid-2025 and operate for the life of the wind farm.

“We have worked alongside mana whenua, Te Roroa, in the years of build-up to this project, and we look forward to continuing to work with them through construction and operation,” he said.

Other efforts include best-practice erosion and sediment control, improving habitat for wetland birds and protecting the bittern population.

Tolcher said the development is expected to involve up to 100 jobs during construction, providing employment opportunities for the Northland region.

While Danish manufacturer Vestas is the main contractor, supplying its V162-6.4 MW wind turbines for the first time in New Zealand, other contractors include Northpower and Kiwi companies Higgins and ElectroNet.

The turbines will connect to an on-site substation by underground lines, then will connect to Northpower’s substation near Dargaville through a 66kV overhead transmission line.

Part of these high-voltage overhead lines will run along a 1.8km easement on the Kaihu Valley Trail.

Mercury chief executive Stew Hamilton said the decision to construct the Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm demonstrates the company’s commitment to lifting New Zealand’s renewable energy generation.

Other work underway includes the expansion of Mercury’s Ngā Tamariki geothermal power station near Taupō and the expansion of its Kaiwera Downs Wind Farm in Southland, with all three projects helping to lift the country’s renewable energy capacity connected to the national grid by about 2.6%.

“This project is an example of the huge level of activity under way across the energy sector to ensure we continue to support New Zealand’s move to electrification and to increase the country’s security of supply.”