Bodangora Windfarm management from Infigen Energy have been in Wellington looking at the site where turbines will be positioned for the project.
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Geotechnical and construction design people will be overlooking the site during the new few weeks.
The project is in the process of negotiation with electricity providers and it's understood this gives a strong indication of a project start.
Infigen Energy has just signed a joint venture agreement with an unidentified wind turbine supplier which would involve them in the Bodangora windfarm near Wellington and also a site in Queensland.
The windpower producer will seek to tap into growth driven by the revised renewable energy target by selling projects and joint venturing on others after reducing debt through the sale of its US portfolio.
After a full-year net loss of $303.6 million, mostly on a write-down of the US business, Infigen said it would now pursue profitable growth in Australia because it had cut risk and simplified its business.
The loss widened from $8.9 million the previous year.
Others deals are expected to follow, but potentially not until 2016, when the "big three" energy retailers - Origin Energy, AGL Energy and EnergyAustralia - should resume committing to long-term purchases of green power to satisfy their renewable energy target liabilities, managing director Miles George said.
Infigen has 1200 megawatts of large-scale windfarm projects that already have development approval and could be sold to third parties, or developed jointly, with Infigen keeping a minority stake.
About 5000 to 6000MW of new projects will be required to meet the revised renewable energy target.
But one analyst said Infigen might face difficulties selling projects given a shortage of buyers and little sign the large retailers would resume signing long-term power purchase contracts.
The company, formerly known as Babcock and Brown Wind Partners, said wind conditions should improve this financial year after a below-average 2013-14, while hedging has been put in place to make revenue more certain.
It is also seeking to extend service and maintenance agreements with third parties to reduce exposure to costs for replacing parts.
Mr George said the outlook for the Australian business was "positive" following the passage of the amended renewable energy target legislation, which gave more certainty over policy settings and required a near-doubling of large-scale renewables capacity within five years.
"Infigen is well-positioned to participate in those opportunities with its significant and well-advanced development pipeline," he said.
The net loss in the year ended June 30 stemmed largely from a $US221 million ($309 million) write-down on its US wind business, which has since been sold.
The loss from continuing operations was $18.4 million, an improvement on the $32.4 million loss of the previous year, on revenue that slipped 8 per cent to $133.8 million. Infigen shares dipped 1.8¢ to 22.7¢.
The sale of the US business for $US272.5 million, expected to be completed in October, will allow about 25 per cent of Infigen's heavy debt load to be repaid, reducing net debt to about $647 million.
Infigen said it expected to repay about $35 million of the debt facility this financial year, apart from the proceeds from the US sale.
