Aquila Clean Energy has gained land access to build a proposed 130MW, 19-turbine windfarm development immediately behind Kurow.
In a project update, released to the community this week, Aquila said the proposed layout on the designated site was now "under revision".
This was due to community feedback, technical assessments and further information on wind resources work to update the project design, Aquila said in the update.
"As a result, we are exploring options for how the wind turbines and relevant infrastructure are positioned on site . . .
"The number of turbines, their size and their location may be fine-tuned in response to the environmental effects assessments. However, the total output of the windfarm is expected to stay close to 130MW."
It said the wind conditions in the area suggested "a world-class resource".
Aquila plans to lodge consent applications with the Waitaki District Council and Environment Canterbury later this year.
In its latest update, Aquila said an updated project site map based on its current revisions would be shared once confirmed.
"We plan to hold another face-to-face community engagement session prior to lodging the resource consent application later this year."
Proximity to the Transpower national grid network for the Waitaki Valley hydro schemes has been previously cited as a logistical advantage for the proposed site — on either side of the Awakino River, across 1800ha on two hill-country farm properties.
Once built, turbines up to 200m tall — at maximum tip height from the ground and a maximum rotor diameter of 178m — will be visible on Te Kohurau (Kurow Hill) and across the Waitaki Valley vista.
Aquila held its community engagement sessions in Kurow on December 3.
Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher said on Monday there had been no further contact with the council from Aquila recently.
Aquila privately briefed councillors prior to its community engagement in Kurow.
The project update noted the proposal was still in the early development stage, with "effects assessments" about to start or in the next six months.
Aquila said it would continue consultation in the meantime.
In parallel, technical assessments including ecology, landscape and visual and acoustic assessments would inform its planned consent application, Aquila said.
The assessments included installing wind-measuring equipment.
"Based on existing data, the proposed wind farm has a high average [wind] speed, and a high total percentage of time the wind blows in a year.
"These two points suggest a world-class wind resource at Kurow."
Aquila said it would set up a meteorological mast and LiDAR wind monitoring equipment.
This would allow it to validate the current "generalised" data with site-specific records which would be taken over a 12-month period.
