Wind power in New Zealand

Wind power constitutes a small but growing proportion of New Zealand's electricity. As of December 2020, wind power accounts for 690 MW of installed capacity and over 5 percent of electricity generated in the country.[1]

The Windflow 500 is New Zealand's only locally designed and manufactured wind turbine.

New Zealand has abundant wind resources. The country is in the path of the Roaring Forties, strong and constant westerly winds, and the funneling effect of Cook Strait and the Manawatu Gorge increase the resource's potential. Over three-quarters (512 MW) of the country's wind generation is installed within a 150 km (93 mi) radius of Palmerston North, with some turbines in the area having a capacity factor of over 50 percent.[2]

Generation capacity and expansion
Wind power in New Zealand is located in New Zealand
Under construction
Under construction
Operating
Operating
Flat Hill Wind Farm
Flat Hill Wind Farm
Hau Nui Wind Farm
Hau Nui Wind Farm
Mahinerangi Wind Farm
Mahinerangi Wind Farm
Mill Creek Wind Farm
Mill Creek Wind Farm
Mt Stuart Wind Farm
Mt Stuart Wind Farm
Tararua Wind Farm
Tararua Wind Farm
Te Apiti Wind Farm
Te Apiti Wind Farm
Te Rere Hau Wind Farm
Te Rere Hau Wind Farm
Te Uku Wind Farm
Te Uku Wind Farm
Waipipi Wind Farm
Waipipi Wind Farm
West Wind Wind Farm
West Wind Wind Farm
White Hill Wind Farm
White Hill Wind Farm
Turitea Wind Farm
Turitea Wind Farm
Harapaki Wind Farm
Harapaki Wind Farm
Large wind farms (>5MW) in New Zealand.

As of December 2020, New Zealand had an installed wind generation capacity of 690 MW. In the 2020 calendar year, wind power produced 2,282 GWh of electricity, 5.5 percent of the country's electricity generation that year.[1]

A further 2,500 MW of wind farms have received resource consent.[3]

The New Zealand Wind Energy Association predicts that wind could reach 20 percent of New Zealand's annual generation by 2035.[4]

Wind potential
This demonstration wind turbine in Brooklyn, Wellington, was New Zealand's first turbine. It has since been upgraded. It was in operation for 22 years from 1993 to 2015.

New Zealand has outstanding wind resources, due to its position astride the Roaring Forties, resulting in nearly continuous strong westerly winds over many locations, unimpeded by other nearby landmasses at similar latitude.[5] One study found that using 1% of total available land for wind farms would produce approximately 100,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year.[6]

Coping with intermittency
Main article: Wind power § Penetration

Wind farms partner well with hydro plants on the same grid to create combined power plants, because hydro plants can be uprated with extra turbine units to provide highly dispatchable peak generating capacity above the average flows of their rivers, at lower cost than other peak power options.[7]

List of operating wind farms

Only wind turbines and farms over 5 MW generating capacity are listed. Individual demonstration and prototype wind turbines have been installed at Southbridge in Canterbury,[8] Gebbies Pass near Christchurch and Brooklyn in Wellington. Many small windmills serve as windpumps on New Zealand farms.

NameCommissionedOperatorNumber of turbinesInstalled capacity
(MW)		Annual average
generation (GWh)[9]		Coordinates
Flat Hill[10]September 2015[11]Pioneer Generation86.846°35′S 168°17′E
Hau Nui1997Genesis Energy158.652241°22′S 175°29′E
MahinerangiMarch 2011Mercury Energy123610545°45′S 169°54′E
Mill CreekMay 2014[12]Meridian Energy2659.841°13′S 174°44′E
Mt Stuart[13]December 2011Pioneer Generation97.6546°4′S 169°46′E
Tararua1999–2007Mercury Energy13416165040°21′S 175°47′E
Te Apiti2004Meridian Energy559125840°18′S 175°48′E
Te Rere Hau2006–11NZ Windfarms9748.540°23′S 175°43′E
Te Uku2011WEL Networks / Meridian Energy2864.437°53′S 174°58′E
Turitea[14]2021Mercury Energy3311940°26′28″S 175°40′17″E
Waipipi November 2020[15] Mercury Energy 31 133.3 455 39°47′S 174°33′E
Project West Wind2009Meridian Energy62142.655041°17′S 174°40′E
White Hill2007Meridian Energy295820045°45′S 168°16′E

Meridian Energy also operates a 1 MW wind farm on Ross Island, Antarctica. It is not included in the above list as it does not contribute electricity to the New Zealand national electricity network.[16][17]

Proposed and under construction
NameOperatorProjected capacity (MW)
StatusCoordinates
AwhituAwhitu Windfarms15Under construction37°16′S 174°40′E
BlackmountSouthern Generation35Proposed[18]
Castle Hill Wind Farm[19]Genesis429–858Consented (expires 2023)40°43′0″S 175°56′0″E
HarapakiMeridian Energy176Construction began in 202139°11′2″S 176°41′35″E
KaimaiKaimai Wind Farm101Consents notified 2018[20]
KaiwaikaweMercury Energy73Consented[21]35°52′8.6″S 173°43′50.85″E
Kaiwera DownsMercury Energy240Under construction[22]46°14′29″S 169°3′21″E
Mahinerangi (stage 2)Mercury Energy16045°45′38″S 169°54′18″E
Mount CassMainPower93Construction to begin late 2021[23]43°4′30″S 172°50′15″E
Project HuriwakaManawa Energy230Proposed[24]39°31′52.02″S 175°48′25.7″E
Project HurunuiMeridian Energy71Consented 2013 (expires 2023)[25]42°59′33″S 172°57′32″E
PuketoiMercury Energy310Consented 2013 (expires 2031)[26][27]40°32′23″S 176°3′23″E
South Taranaki Offshore WindBluefloat900Proposed[28]
TaumatatotaraVentus Energy48.44Consented 2008; application for variation.[29]38°14′22.93″S 174°49′37.52″E
Turitea (southern stage)Mercury Energy103Under construction, expected commissioning 2023[30]40°26′28″S 175°40′17″E
Waikato Offshore WindBluefloat1050–1400Proposed[31]
WyndhamContact Energy300Proposed[32]

Abandoned
NameOperatorProjected capacity (MW)CommentsCoordinates
Hauauru ma rakiContact Energy540Abandoned[33]37°34′4″S 174°48′18″E
Project HayesMeridian Energy630Abandoned in January 201245°30′39″S 169°53′3″E
Long GullyWindflow Technology12.5Consents lapsed41°19′36″S 174°43′4″E
Maungatua Wind Farm[34][35]Windpower Maungatua25Abandoned[36]
Motorimu Wind Farm[37]Motorimu Wind Farm108Consents surrendered[38]
Project Gumfields[39]Meridian Energy99No consents, apparently abandoned
PuketiroRES NZ150No consents, apparently abandoned41°06′S 174°54′E
RototunaMeridian Energy500No consents, apparently abandoned36°15′0″S 174°1′48″E
Slopedown Wind Farm[40]Genesis150No consents, apparently abandoned
Taharoa Wind Farm[41]Taharoa C100Consents lapsed[42]
WaitahoraContact Energy177Consents lapsed, abandoned[43]40°21′44″S 176°10′24″E

See also

References
  1. "Energy in New Zealand 2021". MBIE. August 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  2. Bradley, Grant Bradley, Grant (7 June 2011). "Wellington winds too windy for wind farm". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  3. "New Zealand's wind farms". New Zealand Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  4. "Wind Energy to be 20% of NZ Generation by 2035". New Zealand Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  5. "New Zealand wind resource". New Zealand Wind Energy Association. 10 January 2008. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
  6. "New Zealand's Wind Resource". New Zealand Wind Energy Association. Archived from the original on 20 March 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
  7. "Hydroelectric Power" (PDF). United States Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  8. New Zealand Wind Energy Association – Southbridge Wind Turbine Archived 4 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "List of Generating Stations". New Zealand Electricity Authority. November 2010. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  10. "Flat Hill". New Zealand Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  11. MCleod, Hannah (1 September 2015). "New Bluff wind farm can power 2500 homes". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  12. "Meridian's new windfarm open". Dominion-Post. 8 January 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  13. "Proposed Mt Stuart Windfarm Information". Clutha District Council. Archived from the original on 1 March 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  14. Cook, Alexa (8 May 2021). "First stage of Mercury's Turitea Wind Farm to be switched on in October after year-long delay". Newshub. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  15. "Wind power blows in to South Taranaki". Stuff. 17 November 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  16. "Ross Island wind farm". New Zealand Wind Energy Association. Archived from the original on 17 November 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  17. "McCully opens Antarctic wind farm". The New Zealand Herald. 16 January 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
  18. Rachel Kelly (1 December 2022). "Southern Generation proposes to build a wind farm at Southland's Jericho Station". Stuff. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  19. Chug, Kiran (2 April 2011). "Planned wind farm would be biggest". Stuff. Fairfax. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  20. Lawrence Gullery (28 September 2018). "Wind farm's towering turbines worry nearby Te Aroha residents". Stuff. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  21. "THE KAIWAIKAWE WIND FARM". Mercury Energy. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  22. Rachael Kelly (4 October 2022). "Earthworks begin at Mercury Energy's $115m Kaiwera wind farm". Stuff. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  23. Robyn Bristow (22 April 2021). "Construction of South Island's largest wind farm to start soon in Nth Canterbury". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  24. "Manawa gains rights to develop 230MW Central NI wind farm". New Zealand Herald. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  25. Rachel Young (18 April 2013). "31 wind turbines for Hurunui". Stuff. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  26. Janine Rankin (5 June 2013). "Puketoi wind farm gets final go-ahead". Stuff. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  27. Janine Rankin (18 March 2023). "Winding road to turbine sites provides lessons for next wind farm projects". Stuff. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  28. "New Zealand's first offshore wind farm gets underway in Taranaki". Stuff. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  29. "Wind farm proposed near Taharoa". Stuff. 2 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  30. Rankin, Janine (9 January 2023). "Palmerston North has work in the pipeline to soften recessionary forces". Stuff. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  31. "$6 billion-plus wind farm investment blowing Waikato's way". Stuff. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  32. Rachael Kelly (12 May 2023). "Contact Energy plans to build a 50-turbine wind farm in Southland". Stuff. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  33. "Windfarm backtrack has heavy cost". Stuff. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  34. "Mt Maungatua wind-farm proposal grows 25%". Otago Daily Times. 15 July 2008.
  35. 6 month report to 31 December 2008, NZ Windfarms Limited, 2 March 2009. Quote: "the WindPower Maungatua wind farm ... is now unlikely to proceed in the near future, if at all".
  36. "Wind farm development abandoned". Otago Daily Times. 29 August 2009.
  37. "Notice of Decision" (PDF). Joint Hearings Commissioners. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  38. Miller, Grant (25 August 2009). "Wind farm idea off table as liquidators surrender consent". The Manawatu Standard.
  39. "Windfarm investigation blows on". Northern News. 9 October 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  40. Alana Dixon (15 April 2011). "Slopedown wind farm not a priority: Genesis". Stuff. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  41. NZPA (2 February 2006). "Three wind farms planned for Waikato". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  42. "Taharoa". New Zealand Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  43. McKay, Christine (31 August 2016). "Surprise at windfarm consent expiry". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
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