| 3 “It’s a high wind site, which of course is great for a wind farm but makes construction challenging....” T T to page 4 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Meridian Energy - Wellington: Harapaki Wind Farm T T Karen Phelps Harapaki Wind Farm taking shape Harapaki Wind Farm is located in the MaungaharuruRange northwest of Napier and will be New Zealand’s second-largest wind farm. Cyclone Gabrielle threw a curveball at the construction of Harapaki Wind Farm but Meridian Energy project manager Robert Batters says the damage was less than feared and due to a team effort the repair work is nearing completion. Multiple teams are working on site undertaking earthworks (building roads), constructing turbine foundations, electrical works (cable installation, substation, data and electronics etc.) and the construction of the services building and substation. “It’s a high wind site, which of course is great for a wind farm but makes construction challenging. We’ve had an unprecedented number of extreme weather events including the cyclone, which caused some damage. “The large number of contactors and resources working on the project was fortuitous after the cyclone when Waka Kotahi needed to undertake emergency repairs to SH5 and emergency generators from the wind farm were used to provide emergency electricity supply. “Utilising our contractors and resources, meant access to parts of the community cut off due to the cyclone damage could be accessed by emergency services and power supply for community co-ordination centres could be established faster,” explains Robert. Harapaki Wind Farm is located in the MaungaharuruRange northwest of Napier and will be New Zealand’s second-largest wind farm. It will have 41 turbines, each 145 metres high, generating 176 MW of renewable energy - enough to power more than 70,000 average households. The farm will cover 1,235 hectares at altitudes of 730m to 1,100m and the project will take around three years to complete. Robert says that ensuring Harapaki is built as sustainably as possible is a key priority for Meridian.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=