New Zealand's wind map just grew — 40 turbines are on their way to Otago's windy hills

On the eastern foothills of Otago's Lammermoor Range, where the wind averages more than 8 metres per second, a whole new wind farm is taking shape. Mercury, one of New Zealand's biggest electricity companies, has ordered 40 turbines from Nordex — the manufacturer's first-ever order in New Zealand — for the Puke Kapo Hau wind farm, adding up to 192 MW of clean generating capacity on 90-metre towers. A 30-year service agreement comes with the deal, tying the project to local jobs and contractors for decades. Installation starts in early 2028, with the first turbines due to spin by the middle of that year. Mercury knows the terrain: it has built five of the six wind farms constructed in New Zealand over the past five years.

SDG 7 · Affordable and clean energy — Mechanism: infrastructure build