Kaipara Tidal Power Station
Encyclopedia
The Kaipara tidal power station is a proposed tidal power project to be located in the Kaipara Harbour
. The project is being developed by Crest Energy, with an ultimate size of 200MW at a cost of $700 million.
Crest plans to place the turbines at least 30 metres deep along a ten kilometre stretch of the main channel Historical charts show this stretch of the channel has changed little over 150 years. The output of the turbines will cycle twice daily with the predictable rise and fall of the tide. Each turbine will have a maximum output of 1.2 MW, and is expected to generate 0.75 MW averaged over time.
, one of the largest harbours in the world, is a channel to the Tasman Sea
. It narrows to a width of 6 kilometres (3.7 mi), and is over 50 metres (164 ft) deep in parts. On average, Kaipara tides rise and fall 2.1 metres (6.9 ft). At high tide, nearly 1000 square kilometres are flooded. Spring tidal flows reach 9 km/h (5 knots) in the entrance channel and move 1,990 million cubic meters per tidal movement or 7,960 million cubic meters daily.
Kaipara Harbour
Kaipara Harbour is a large enclosed harbour estuary complex on the north western side of the North Island of New Zealand. The northern part of the harbour is administered by the Kaipara District and the southern part is administered by the Rodney District...
. The project is being developed by Crest Energy, with an ultimate size of 200MW at a cost of $700 million.
Crest plans to place the turbines at least 30 metres deep along a ten kilometre stretch of the main channel Historical charts show this stretch of the channel has changed little over 150 years. The output of the turbines will cycle twice daily with the predictable rise and fall of the tide. Each turbine will have a maximum output of 1.2 MW, and is expected to generate 0.75 MW averaged over time.
Kaipara Harbour
The entrance to Kaipara HarbourKaipara Harbour
Kaipara Harbour is a large enclosed harbour estuary complex on the north western side of the North Island of New Zealand. The northern part of the harbour is administered by the Kaipara District and the southern part is administered by the Rodney District...
, one of the largest harbours in the world, is a channel to the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
. It narrows to a width of 6 kilometres (3.7 mi), and is over 50 metres (164 ft) deep in parts. On average, Kaipara tides rise and fall 2.1 metres (6.9 ft). At high tide, nearly 1000 square kilometres are flooded. Spring tidal flows reach 9 km/h (5 knots) in the entrance channel and move 1,990 million cubic meters per tidal movement or 7,960 million cubic meters daily.
Consents
In 2008, the Northland Regional Council granted resource consents for only 100 turbines. This was appealed to the Environment Court, which in 2011 set conditions for the project allowing for 200 turbines, with many conditions including staged development. The Minister of Conservation granted resource consents for the project in March 2011.See also
- Ocean power in New ZealandOcean power in New ZealandNew Zealand has large ocean energy resources but does not yet generate any power from them. TVNZ reported in 2007 that over 20 wave and tidal power projects are currently under development. However, not a lot of public information is available about these projects. The Aotearoa Wave and Tidal...
- Aotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy AssociationAotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy AssociationThe Aotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy Association is a New Zealand organisation established in 2006 to promote renewable energy from marine sources. This includes energy from tides, waves and ocean currents....
- List of power stations in New Zealand