BlueFloat Energy is in the early stages of exploring the potential for a suitably located and sized offshore wind-energy operation for the region.
Last month, the company’s partnerships director Justine Gilliland, iwi liaison lead Toko Kapea and BlueFloat Energy senior development adviser Jarek Pole hosted a meeting in Invercargill with runanga leaders, unions, central government and others about the potential project.
A spokeswoman for the company said the project was at very early stages.
"So [we are] really just seeing what might be possible at this point."
It included a desktop environmental study to help inform potential site locations and this study was expected to be finished around the middle of the year, she said.
"We believe that by around mid-2023 we will know whether Southland presents a good opportunity for the region, our stakeholders and us as developers."
The Otago Daily Times understood one of the locations mentioned by attendees at the meeting was Foveaux Strait.
In late November 2019, Environment Minister David Parker announced Stewart Island was granted $3.16 million from the Provincial Growth Fund to help build two wind turbines to put "the island on a path to sustainable electricity generation".
However, in March 2021, it was announced the project had been scrapped after an agreement could not be reached on a suitable location for the turbines.
In the meantime, BlueFloat Energy, Energy Estate and Elemental Group announced their plans to build an 900MW offshore wind farm in Taranaki which could generate about 600 jobs to the region.
The spokeswoman said it was was too early to make any prediction for Southland yet.
"All I can say is that the size, location and technology type for any potential Southland project is still being investigated."
