| Project Hayes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Location | Otago |
| Coordinates | 45°30′39″S 169°53′3″E / 45.51083°S 169.88417°E |
| Status | withdrawn |
| Owner(s) | Meridian Energy |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 176 |
| Nameplate capacity | 630 MW |
Project Hayes was a controversial wind farm proposed for the Lammermoor Range of Otago, New Zealand.[1] The project was developed by Meridian Energy from 2006 to 2012 at a cost of $8.9 million.[2][3]
It had a proposed capacity of up to 630MW, at the time making it the largest wind farm project in the southern hemisphere.[1] The proposed farm would have covered an area of approximately 92 km²,[4] used up to 176 wind turbines and cost up to $2 billion.[5] Meridian initially won resource consent for the project in 2007, but these were overturned by the Environment Court in 2009, and Meridian eventually announced it was withdrawing its application for consent in January 2012.
The project was named after engineer Eben Ernest Hayes (1851–1933), founder of the Hayes Engineering Works in Otago. He developed a windmill to power his engineering works from 1910 to 1927, and manufactured windmills for pumping water on farms.[6]
- ^ a b Manins, Rosie (9 August 2008). "Project Hayes wind farm hearing to resume in January". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 2008-09-21.
- ^ Edens, John (19 January 2012). "Meridian quits $2 billion wind project". Fairfax NZ News.
- ^ "Project Hayes: counting the costs". Otago Daily Times. 23 January 2012.
- ^ "Application for resource consent under section 88 of the resource management act 1991" (PDF). Meridian Energy Limited. 12 July 2006. Retrieved 2008-09-21.
- ^ Manins, Rosie (28 January 2009). "Wind farm could attract tourists: Witness". Otago Daily Times.
- ^ Orange, Claudia (1 September 2010). "Hayes, Eben Ernest - Biography". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage | Te Manata Taonga. ISBN 978-0-478-18451-8. Retrieved 7 March 2011.