Harapaki Wind Farm fully operational

New Zealand’s second largest wind farm is now fully operational, having been delivered within a month of its original completion date and inside its $448 million capital forecast. Meridian’s General Manager Development, Guy Waipara, says this is an incredible result and one ideally timed for electricity consumers. “We’re now right in the middle of winter and every bit of generation helps. Harapaki has been generating since last November and was around 90% capacity at 30 June, but reaching full capacity means this wind farm is doing everything it can to help maintain security of supply.” Meridian shares Aotearoa New Zealand’s goal of transitioning to a net-zero economy and has its own aspiration to deliver seven new renewable electricity projects in seven years. Harapaki is the first of these to be completed. “Harapaki shows we have the capability to deliver. We’ve got a world-class renewable construction team backed by a great group of contractors. What they’ve achieved in the face of COVID-19 and multiple weather events is truly outstanding,” says Guy Waipara. Harapaki Wind Farm is located north of Napier on SH5 in the Maungaharuru Range. It utilises Siemens Gamesa SWT-DD-120 turbines. It can produce enough electricity to power 70,000 average homes, the equivalent of most of Hawke’s Bay.