| West Wind Wind Farm | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Location | Mākara, west of Wellington City |
| Coordinates | 41°16′35″S 174°39′37″E / 41.27639°S 174.66028°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | September 2007 |
| Commission date | April 2009 |
| Construction cost | $440 million |
| Owner | Meridian |
| Wind farm | |
| Type | Onshore |
| Hub height | 68 m (223 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 82 m (269 ft) |
| Rated wind speed | 13–14 m/s (47–50 km/h; 29–31 mph) |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 62 |
| Make and model | Siemens: SWT-2.3-82 VS |
| Nameplate capacity | 142.6 MW |
| Capacity factor | 44.0% |
| Annual net output | 550 GWh |
| External links | |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
West Wind is a wind farm located at Terawhiti Station and Mākara, west of Wellington, New Zealand.
It is the first wind farm for the capital city, and has a capacity of 143 MW.[1] Construction of the wind farm project began in September 2007[2] and was completed in late 2009.[3] The wind farm received resource consent for up to 66 turbines,[4] however only 62 were installed.[5] It is owned and operated by Meridian Energy.
The wind farm was officially opened in April 2009, when Prime Minister John Key turned on the first 15 turbines.[6] Electricity from the farm is stepped-up to 110 kV and is injected into Transpower's national grid via hard tee connections into two of the three Central Park to Wilton circuits (both circuits of the Central Park - Wilton B Line).
Six turbines suffered premature bearing failures in 2011.[7]
The wind farm was the winner of the Energy and Resources category in the 2012 New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards.[8]
In September 2019 Meridian celebrated 10 years of generation with the Mākara and Wellington community at the recreation area.[9]
- ^ "Wind Farms". Wellington City Council. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
- ^ Clark, Helen (27 September 2007). "Clark: Opening of Meridian's Project West Wind". Scoop. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
- ^ "Project West Wind". New Zealand Wind Energy Association. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
- ^ "Decision approving conditions" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
- ^ Blundell, Kay (30 January 2008). "Turbine farm for Ohariu Valley". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
- ^ "West Wind Powers Wellington". Scoop. 29 April 2009.
- ^ Bradley, Grant (8 June 2011). "Wellington winds too windy for wind farm". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
- ^ "Controversial wind farm Wins Prestigious Engineering Award". New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards. 3 December 2012.
- ^ "Meridian Energy Celebrates with West Wind Community". Meridian Energy. Retrieved 10 November 2019.