Wind: Windflow Chases British Windfarm Subsidies
July 13th, 2010
A new British Govt incentive scheme for small-scale wind projects is causing rocketing demand for 500KW turbines, perfectly fitting the specifications of Christchurch two-bladed turbine manufacturer, Windflow Technology. With no new orders beyond those required to complete the Te Rere Hau wind farm, Windflow needs to find new customers or faces a production wind-down in early 2011. The new UK scheme, announced on April 1, guarantees both a fixed level of payment for embedded generation and feed-in tariffs for 20 years on any new, low carbon generation below 5MW. Feed-in tariffs give otherwise uneconomic generation a guaranteed rate of payment for any electricity exported to the national grid. Total tariffs of approximately NZ 45c per kWh are on offer.
As one of the only 500 kW turbine producers in the world, Windflow reports “unprecedented interest from this market in the past few months” and is in the process of appointing an exclusive UK distributor. Meanwhile, the company’s chief operating officer, Tom Hooper, has resigned, citing personal reasons, while Chris Freear is rejoining the Windflow team as new business development manager, with a brief to develop new opportunities in NZ. Windflow had hoped to supply turbines to MightyRiverPower for the consented 12.5MW Long Gully wind farm behind Wellington, but MRP, which owns 20% of Windflow, has pulled back from the development risk, saying only it would be willing to sign an electricity off-take agreement if NZAX-listed Windflow develops the project itself.
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