The Hau Nui Wind Farm is a 15-turbine wind farm

Wind farm

A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...

 located approximately 21 kilometres (13 mi) south-east of Martinborough

Martinborough

Martinborough is a town in South Wairarapa, a district in the Wellington region on the North Island of New Zealand. It is 65 kilometres east of Wellington and 35 kilometres south-west of Masterton...

, in the South Wairarapa District

South Wairarapa District

South Wairarapa District is at the south-east tip of the North Island of New Zealand.-Introduction:South Wairarapa includes three towns and several localities that have a wide range of economic activity, natural features, and visitor attractions, only a few of which are noted here. Martinborough is...

 of New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. Hau Nui was the first wind farm built in New Zealand.

The wind farm was built in two stages and the completed capacity is 8.65 MW.

Site

Hau Nui wind farm is located on a ridge adjacent to White Rock Road, the main road between Martinborough and White Rock. Stage 1 is situated on Range Road near its intersection with White Rock Road. Stage 2 is located approximately one kilometre south of Stage 1 on Range Road.

The site has an average wind speed of 9.2 m/s.

Turbines

Hau Nui has a total of fifteen Enercon E-40 wind turbines. The seven Stage 1 turbines are third-generation turbines, delivering 550 kW each. The eight Stage 2 turbines are later versions of the same Enercon E-40 model, each generating 600 kW each.

The turbines in both stages are 46 metres (151 ft) tall to the hub, and have rotor diameters of 40 metres (131 ft).

Transmission

Electricity generated by Hau nui is injected into the local distribution grid. The 400V electricity generated by each turbine is stepped up by transformers at the base of the turbine - to 11,000V for stage 1 turbines and 33,000V for stage 2 turbines.

33kV lines from stage 2 take electricity 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) to Martinborough to supply the town. Stage 1 turbines connect to 11 kV lines to supply the local area, or connect to the Stage 2 to Martinborough 33 kV lines through a 750 kVA transformer to the north side of the stage.

During peak demand, electricity generated by Hau Nui is used by Martinborough and the eastern South Wairarapa district. During off-peak, Hau Nui electricity can supply the entire South Wairarapa district via 33kV lines connecting Martinborough with Featherston

Featherston, New Zealand

Featherston is a town in the north of the Wellington Region region of New Zealand. It lies in the Wairarapa, just north of the Rimutaka Tunnel, in the South Wairarapa District. The population was 2,340 in the 2006 Census....

, Greytown

Greytown, New Zealand

Greytown or Te Hupenui, population 2,001 , is a town in the Wellington region of New Zealand. It lies in the Wairarapa, in the lower North Island...

, and Pirinoa. If local demand is low, some electricity may be exported to the national grid through Transpower's Greytown substation.

External links

• Genesis Energy - Hau Nui Wind Farm information page