Taranaki at the forefront of Aotearoa's Offshore Wind Industry
Taranaki is uniquely positioned to lead the country’s offshore wind development. With decades of experience in energy, a skilled and transferable workforce, and a collaborative regional vision for a low-emissions future, the region is stepping up to power the nation’s next energy chapter—offshore wind.
As New Zealand’s only region with a long-standing oil and gas base, Taranaki brings infrastructure, know-how, and ambition to the offshore wind opportunity. The region is home to some of the best offshore wind resources in the Southern Hemisphere, offering world-class potential for large-scale renewable energy generation.
Why Taranaki?
- Strategic Location: The South Taranaki Bight has world-class wind conditions, shallow waters, and close proximity to transmission infrastructure and industry hubs.
- Energy Transition Leader: Offshore wind aligns with Tapaue Roa, the regional economic development strategy, supporting regional resilience and emissions reduction goals.
- Workforce Ready: The region’s skilled energy workforce is highly transferable to offshore wind, backed by strong tertiary and vocational partnerships.
- Community and Iwi Support: Regional iwi, hapū, councils, and economic development agencies are actively shaping a collaborative energy future.
Development Timeline
Venture Taranaki has been promoting the opportunity of offshore wind development in Aotearoa since 2019. Venture Taranaki has been involved in subsequent years promoting the possibility of the industry, including hosting consecutive annual Offshore Renewable Energy Forums since 2020 in partnership with Ara Ake.
2026:
Feasibility permits will be issued, granting exclusive rights to conduct studies in a specific area for up to 7 years, and are intended to incentivize investment by developers.
2025:
Feasibility permit submissions open for developers. Feasibility permits grant exclusive rights to conduct studies in a specific area for up to 7 years, and are intended to incentivise investment by developers.
2024:
The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) begins developing the regulatory framework to support offshore renewable energy projects, including feasibility studies.
2021:
International developers establish themselves in Taranaki to explore the opportunity and conduct community engagement.
2020:
In response to the discussion paper, Venture Taranaki and Ara Ake hosted the first Offshore Renewable Energy Forum, attracting policy makers, developers, and local leaders together to progress the discussion.
2020:
Venture Taranaki released a discussion paper, Offshore Wind – An Energy Opportunity for Taranaki, which received international attention.
UK and Trans-Tasman partnerships
As New Zealand builds momentum in offshore wind, international collaboration is proving vital to accelerating industry readiness. Taranaki is forging strong partnerships with global leaders to ensure we bring the best of global knowledge, experience, and workforce development into our local context. The relationships focus on:
- Technical collaboration and R&D exchange
- Supply chain and business development opportunities
- Workforce training models and innovation
- Policy and regulatory alignment