Tararua Wind Farm

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Tararua Wind Farm
Tararua wind farm.jpg
Tararua Wind Farm
CountryNew Zealand
Location Tararua Ranges, east of Palmerston North
Coordinates 40°20′46″S175°46′48″E / 40.34611°S 175.78000°E / -40.34611; 175.78000 Coordinates: 40°20′46″S175°46′48″E / 40.34611°S 175.78000°E / -40.34611; 175.78000
StatusOperational
Commission date 1999 (stage 1)
2004 (stage 2)
2007 (stage 3)
Owner(s) Mercury NZ Ltd
Wind farm
Type Onshore
Rotor diameter47m (V47)
90m (V90)
Site area700ha
Power generation
Make and modelV47 (103 turbines)
V90-3MW (31 turbines)
Nameplate capacity 161 MW
External links
Commons Related media on Commons

The Tararua Wind Farm is a wind farm owned and operated by Mercury NZ Ltd. It is located on 700ha of farmland on the Tararua Ranges of New Zealand. It has become New Zealand's largest capacity wind farm, with a total capacity of 161MW. [1] [2]

The wind farm was first commissioned in 1999 and has been upgraded twice since. The most recent addition was commissioned in September 2007.

The wind farm consists of 134 turbines of two different types:

The V47 turbines connect into Powerco's Palmerston North distribution network via twin 33,000-volt lines. [4] The V90 turbines connect into Transpower's national grid via a tee off one circuit of the Bunnythorpe to Linton 220,000-volt transmission line. [5]

On 6 October 2021, one of the V90 turbines caught fire. Five turbines in the same cluster were taken out of service due to the fire. [6]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Tararua Wind Farm Stages 1 & 2". Tilt Renewables. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Tararua Wind Farm Stage 3". Tilt Renewables. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  3. TrustPower Celebrates New Wind Farm High Scoop, 13 September 2007
  4. "Powerco CPP – Portfolio Overview Document –Palmerston North CBD Reinforcement" (PDF). Commerce Commission. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "Trnasmission Planning Report 2021" (PDF). Transpower New Zealand. 1 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. Rankin, Janine (6 October 2021). "Operators probe cause of wind turbine fire on Tararua Range". Stuff. Retrieved 6 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)