Industry collaboration bringing offshore wind a step closer in Aotearoa.
NZ Super Fund and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ Taranaki Offshore Partnership (TOP) has reached an agreement with Port Taranaki and BlueFloat Energy (BFE) to work together to assess how the port can serve as a hub for offshore wind development in New Zealand, including offshore Taranaki.
The agreement signed between the parties is for a study that will help build an understanding of how the port’s assets, infrastructure and land can support the growth of an offshore wind industry in Aotearoa.
The study will also determine if particular port upgrades and investments are needed for offshore wind developers to construct, operate and maintain their projects. This includes assessment of the port’s wharves, crane lifting capacity, land and storage layout and the specific need to transport and service wind turbines.
The results of the study will be part of the broader respective feasibility activities being undertaken by TOP and by BFE in relation to their separate planned offshore wind projects in Waikato and South Taranaki with BFE’s partner, Elemental Group.
Port Taranaki Chief Executive Simon Craddock said the possibilities and potential for offshore wind
production in Taranaki and other regions of New Zealand were exciting. “New Zealand has one of the best offshore wind resources in the world, and it’s likely this industry will play an important role in a low-emissions future.
“With our proximity to the proposed development site, our skills and experience having worked in the
energy industry, our laydown and storage areas available on-site, and our berths for the specialist
support vessels, we believe Port Taranaki has a key role to play in support of this emerging industry.
“We wanted to formalise our support and involvement, and through this agreement we’ll work with
the parties and investigate how best we can support the development of an offshore wind industry in
New Zealand,” Mr Craddock said.
Taranaki Offshore Partnership’s Giacomo Caleffi said with multiple developers indicating interest in
offshore wind development in Taranaki and beyond, it makes sense to work together on this Port
Taranaki study as the outcomes will be relevant to assessing the feasibility of any of the proposed
developments.
“From our experience, with CIP’s portfolio of many offshore wind projects operational, under
construction and in-development in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, it’s important to take
the right opportunities to collaborate with key partners and other developers to best position offshore
wind, as a new industry for New Zealand, for success,” Mr Caleffi said.
BlueFloat Energy Country Manager for New Zealand Nathan Turner said: “We are really excited to be
part of this agreement with NZ Super Fund and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ Taranaki
Offshore Partnership and Port Taranaki.
“We are strong advocates for developing the offshore wind industry collaboratively and this will help
all of us to keep up the momentum.” “The announcement of the Government’s discussion paper in late 2022 to enable investment in offshore renewable energy demonstrates a strong commitment to this strategically important industry and makes us very positive about the future of offshore wind in Aotearoa,” Mr Turner said.
“Port Taranaki is ideally positioned for both of the offshore wind projects we have recently announced
in South Taranaki and Waikato. As the only deep water port on the west coast, Port Taranaki will be
central to building a successful offshore wind industry in New Zealand.”
ENDS
Port Taranaki
Communications Advisor
Warrick Quinn
Phone: 021 102 8905
Email: contact@westquinn.co.nz
BlueFloat Energy/Elemental Group Offshore Wind
Communications Manager
Bianca Ruakere
Phone: 021 453 189
Email: bianca@cloutcommuniations.co.nz
Taranaki Offshore Partnership
Senior Business Development Manager
Giacomo Caleffi
Phone: 021 0815 8077
Email: gca@cop.dk
Notes to editors:
About Taranaki Offshore Partnership
NZ Super Fund is a long-term, growth-orientated Crown investor that manages more than NZD 60
billion of investments – including almost NZD 9 billion in New Zealand on a commercial basis.
For more information visit www.nzsuperfund.nz
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is the world’s largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield
renewable energy investments and a global leader in offshore wind. Alongside exclusive developer
Copenhagen Offshore Partners, the CIP team are behind over 30 offshore wind farms worldwide,
covering all activities from development to construction to operation. For more information, visit
www.cip.dk and www.cop.dk
About Port Taranaki
Port Taranaki is the only deep water port on the west coast of New Zealand. With nine fully serviced
berths, the port has been a key strategic and economic asset for the regional and national supply
chain for 140 years, predominantly in support of the energy, agricultural, manufacturing and forestry
sectors. As New Zealand’s premier energy port, Port Taranaki has decades of experience supporting
the offshore energy sector, and has been the port of entry for componentry for two onshore wind
farms.
For more information, please visit: https://www.porttaranaki.co.nz/
About BlueFloat Energy
BlueFloat Energy is developing offshore wind projects in various regions of the world, where it can implement its vision: to accelerate global deployment of offshore wind as a key enabler for the energy transition and economic growth. Founded by renewable energy professionals, BlueFloat Energy brings together remarkable team expertise in the design, development, financing, construction and execution of offshore wind projects. In New Zealand, BlueFloat Energy has partnered with Elemental Group Limited to develop a pipeline of offshore wind projects.
For more information please visit: www.bluefloat.com
South Taranaki Offshore Wind Project
Waikato Offshore Wind Project
