| Te Āpiti Wind Farm | |
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Location | Ruahine Ranges, north-east of Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui |
| Coordinates | |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | November 2003 |
| Commission date | December 2004 |
| Owner(s) | Meridian Energy |
| Turbine information | |
| Turbines | 55 |
| Manufacturer(s) | Vestas |
| Model(s) | NM72-1.65MW |
| Hub height | 70 m (230 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 72 m (236 ft) |
| Wind farm information | |
| Type | Onshore |
| Land area | 11.5 km2 (4.44 sq mi) |
| Power generation information | |
| Installed capacity | 90.75 MW |
| Capacity factor | 32.4% |
| Annual generation | 258 GWh |
| Website Te Apiti Brochure - Meridian Energy |
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| As of 2010 | |
Te Āpiti (sometimes spelled Te Apiti) is a wind farm owned and operated by Meridian Energy. It is located on 11.5 km² of land north of the Manawatu Gorge in the North Island of New Zealand. At 90.75 MW, it was New Zealand's largest capacity wind farm until September 2007, when the third stage of the nearby Tararua Wind Farm was completed.
The $100 million wind farm consists of 55 separate turbines capable of generating 1.65 MW each, representing a total capacity of 90.75 MW. Each turbine is atop a 70 metre high tower. It is fitted with 3 blades each 35 metres in length.[1]
The Manawatu Gorge area is ideal for wind farms. The Tararua and Ruahine Ranges provide a barrier to the predominantly westerly winds that flow across New Zealand. Between the two ranges lies a lower range of hills that serve to funnel the wind. TrustPower, another New Zealand electricity generator and retailer, operates a wind farm on the south side of the Manawatu Gorge.
The Te Apiti wind farm is also a carbon offset project, compensating among others the British bank HSBC[1] and the Dutch government [2] for CO2 emissions from flying and electricity use.
As of 2007, installed capacity of wind turbines in New Zealand has reached 321 MW and a further 46.5 MW is under construction.[2]
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Te Āpiti was the first wind farm in New Zealand to connect directly to Transpower's national grid.[1] Previously constructed windfarms, including Hau Nui and Tararua, connected to the national grid via local distribution and sub-transmission lines.
Electricity from the 55 turbines is sent via a 48-kilometre (30 mi) network of underground cables to the Te Apiti substation near the lookout, where the electricity is stepped-up to 110 kV for transmission. A 4.5-kilometre (2.8 mi) single-circuit transmission line runs east from the substation, down to the Woodville substation, where electricity generated by Te Āpiti is distributed via three 110 kV circuits to the Hawke's Bay (two circuits) and the Wairarapa (one circuit). An additional twin-circuit line connects Woodville to Bunnythorpe, near Palmerston North, where Te Āpiti's generation is connected to the 220 kV grid for distribution to Wellington, Waikato, and Taranaki.
The New Zealand online education programme, LEARNZ, conducted a virtual field trip to Te Apiti Wind Farm in April 2008. Over 1500 New Zealand school students joined LEARNZ teacher Darren on this trip. Telephone conferences were held between students and wind farm staff. Two telephone conferences were held while Darren and Meridian staff were on top of a 70m high wind turbine.[3]