| 5 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Meridian Energy - Wellington: Harapaki Wind Farm Harapaki is Meridian’s eleventh wind farm development and combines the consents granted for two proposed wind farms in 2005. COMBINING VAST EXPERIENCE AND RESOURCES TO ADD VALUE TO PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION Nationwide Infrastructure & Development Specialists Experienced Personnel & Hands On Project Management Taking Care of Major Infrastructure & Development Projects Specialists in Difficult Jobs, Demanding Environments & Challenging Conditions • Drainage • Earthworks • Roading • Utilities • Machinery • Hick Heavy Haulage CONTACT US 09 426 3470 | hick.enquiries@hickbros.co.nz 42 Forge Road, Silverdale Auckland, New Zealand Tracking their carbon footprint Hick Bros dedication to lowering its carbon footprint can be seen on its work on the Harapaki Wind Farm project for Meridian Energy. “We are tracking our carbon footprint for the project through monthly reporting. It’s been an important part of working on a project that will help to deliver a lower carbon future for New Zealand,” says Hick Brothers Sustainability Manager Pete Ralph. Hick Brothers instigated redesign of road alignments in an early contractor involvement process to save on time, quantity, cost and ultimately carbon in response to help mitigate time losses due to natural disasters and pandemics that occurred during the project. Some of the larger carbon reduction initiatives include reducing earthworks volumes to save 10% of carbon from earthworks. The design was also tweaked to reduce the amount of concrete pipe needed, which has saved 105 tonnes of pipe and 30 tonnes of CO2. “We have given away five tonnes of materials that couldn’t be used on site to the local community such as pipe off cuts, manhole off cuts and IBCs/plastic tanks,” says Pete citing additional benefits. With forty-three wetlands within 100m of the work area excellent environmental compliance has also been important, says Hick Brothers Chief Operations Officer Dan Hohneck. There are several types of areas in the project that require special management including Ecological Interest Areas, Recommended Areas of Protection and Outstanding Natural Features. The site is of cultural and archaeology significance and there are full-time cultural monitors on site. The Harapaki Wind Farm project includes 41 turbines, 23km of roading, 70km of cables, around 1.1m m3 of earthworks and 147 sediment ponds. Hick Bros with its JV partners Spartan, have delivered the earthworks and the critical infrastructure including roading, cabling, turbine foundations etc. Additional innovations have included utilisation, in what Dan says is possibly an industry first, of simulators for pre-employment screening/competency testing and training of operators. “This means we don’t have to put people out on machines to assess initial competency. Instead, a simulator is used on the site to train operators in a safe and controlled environment. They simply sit in a chair and via screens simulate doing exercises using an excavator or dump truck,” explains Dan. He says the company’s work on Meridian Energy’s Te Uku Wind Farm in Raglan means it is well acquainted with the client’s requirements and has been able to build on its skills and knowledge, which has allowed it to successfully deliver earthworks and critical infrastructure through multiple record wet weather events. “Hick Bros are excited to be a part of another exceptionally challenging, nationally significant project,” says Dan, “and help to deliver a project critical to New Zealand’s renewable energy goals.”
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