Wind power in New Zealand

Wind power constitutes a small but growing proportion of New Zealand's electricity. As of November 2023, wind power accounts for 1,059 MW of installed capacity and over 6 percent of electricity generated in the country.^[1]

The Windflow 500 is New Zealand's only locally designed and manufactured wind turbine.

New Zealand has abundant wind resources. The country is in the path of the Roaring Forties, strong and constant westerly winds, and the funneling effect of Cook Strait and the Manawatū Gorge increase the resource's potential. Over three-quarters (512 MW) of the country's wind generation is installed within a 150 km (93 mi) radius of Palmerston North, with some turbines in the area having a capacity factor of over 50 percent.^[2]

Generation capacity and expansion

Flat Hill Wind Farm

Harapaki Wind Farm

Hau Nui Wind Farm

Mahinerangi Wind Farm

Mill Creek Wind Farm

Mt Stuart Wind Farm

Tararua Wind Farm

Te Āpiti Wind Farm

Te Rere Hau Wind Farm

Te Uku Wind Farm

Turitea Wind Farm

Waipipi Wind Farm

West Wind Wind Farm

White Hill Wind Farm

Large operational wind farms (>5MW) in New Zealand.

As of December 2020, New Zealand had an installed wind generation capacity of 690 MW. In the 2020 calendar year, wind power produced 2,282 GWh of electricity, 5.5 percent of the country's electricity generation that year.^[3]

A further 2,500 MW of wind farms have received resource consent.^[4]

The New Zealand Wind Energy Association predicts that wind could reach 20 percent of New Zealand's annual generation by 2035.^[5]

Wind potential

This demonstration wind turbine in Brooklyn, Wellington, was New Zealand's first turbine. It has since been upgraded. It was in operation for 22 years from 1993 to 2015.

New Zealand has outstanding wind resources, due to its position astride the Roaring Forties, resulting in nearly continuous strong westerly winds over many locations, unimpeded by other nearby landmasses at similar latitude.^[6] One study found that using 1% of total available land for wind farms would produce approximately 100,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year.^[7]

Coping with intermittency

Main article: Wind power § Penetration

Wind farms partner well with hydro plants on the same grid to create combined power plants, because hydro plants can be uprated with extra turbine units to provide highly dispatchable peak generating capacity above the average flows of their rivers, at lower cost than other peak power options.^[8]

List of operating wind farms

Only wind turbines and farms over 5 MW generating capacity are listed. Individual demonstration and prototype wind turbines have been installed at Southbridge in Canterbury,^[9] Gebbies Pass near Christchurch and Brooklyn in Wellington. Many small windmills serve as windpumps on New Zealand farms.

Name	Commissioned	Operator	Region	Number of turbines	Installed capacity (MW)	Annual average generation (GWh)[10]	Coordinates
Flat Hill[11]	2015 (September)[12]	Pioneer Energy	Southland	8	6.8		46°35′S 168°17′E
Hau Nui	1997	NZ Windfarms	South Wairarapa	15	8.65	22	41°22′S 175°29′E
Harapaki	2023[13]	Meridian Energy	Hawke's Bay	41[14]	176[14]		39°11′2″S 176°41′35″E
Kaiwera Downs	2023[15]	Mercury Energy	Southland	10	43	148	46°14′29″S 169°3′21″E
Mahinerangi	2011 (March)	Mercury Energy	Otago	12	36	105	45°45′S 169°54′E
Mill Creek	2014 (May)[16]	Meridian Energy	Wellington	26	59.8		41°13′S 174°44′E
Mt Stuart[17]	2011 (December)	Pioneer Energy	Otago	9	7.65		46°4′S 169°46′E
Tararua	1999–2007	Mercury Energy	Manawatū	134	161	650	40°21′S 175°47′E
Te Āpiti	2004	Meridian Energy	Manawatū	55	91	258	40°18′S 175°48′E
Te Rere Hau	2006–11	NZ Windfarms	Manawatū	97	48.5		40°23′S 175°43′E
Te Uku	2011	WEL Networks / Meridian Energy	Waikato	28	64.4		37°53′S 174°58′E
Turitea[18]	2021 (northern stage) 2023 (southern stage)	Mercury Energy	Manawatū	60	220[13]		40°26′28″S 175°40′17″E
Waipipi	2020 (November) [19]	Mercury Energy	South Taranaki	31	133.3	455	39°47′S 174°33′E
Project West Wind	2009	Meridian Energy	Wellington	62	142.6	550	41°17′S 174°40′E
White Hill	2007	Meridian Energy	Southland	29	58	200	45°45′S 168°16′E

Meridian Energy also operates a 1 MW wind farm on Ross Island, Antarctica. It is not included in the above list as it does not contribute electricity to the New Zealand national electricity network.^[20][21]

Proposed and under construction

Name	Operator	Projected capacity (MW)	Status	Comments	Coordinates
Jericho Wind Farm	Southern Generation	35	Proposed[22]	Referral accepted to fast track[23]	45°43′59″S 167°41′22″E
Castle Hill Wind Farm	Genesis	300	Consented (expires 2031)[24]		40°43′0″S 175°56′0″E
Glen Massey	Ventus Energy	150	Proposed
Hapuakohe	Manawa Energy	230	Proposed[25]
Kaihiku	Pioneer Energy / Manawa Energy	300	Proposed[26][27]	On fast-track list	46°16′3.66″S 169°26′33.74″E
Kaimai	Ventus Energy	157	Applied for Consent[28]	On fast-track list	37°26′53.06″S 175°41′7.33″E
Kaiwaikawe	Mercury Energy	77	Under construction[29]		35°52′8.6″S 173°43′50.85″E
Kaiwera Downs (stage 2)	Mercury Energy	185	Under construction		46°14′29″S 169°3′21″E
Kohi Rd	NZ Windfarms	366	Proposed[30]
Kurow	Aquila Capital	130[30]	Proposed[31]	Up to 24 turbines
Mahinerangi (stage 2)	Mercury Energy	160	Consented	On fast-track list	45°45′38″S 169°54′18″E
Mangapapa	Mamaku Renewables	450	Proposed[30]
Mount Cass	MainPower	93	Consented	As of 2024, project status is unclear after an investing company pulled out.[32]	43°4′30″S 172°50′15″E
Mount Munro	Meridian Energy	90	Consented[33]		40°41′40″S 175°41′36″E
Ototoka	Manawa Energy	150	Proposed[34]
Project Huriwaka	Manawa Energy	300	Proposed[35]		39°31′52.02″S 175°48′25.7″E
Puketoi	Mercury Energy	310	Consented (expires 2031)[36][37]		40°32′23″S 176°3′23″E
Ratahiwi	Aquila Capital	90	Proposed[30]
Ruarangi	Aquila Capital	120	Proposed[30]
Santoft	Yinson Renewables	350	Proposed[30]
Southland (also formerly called "Slopedown")	Contact Energy	330	Consent declined[38]
South Taranaki Offshore Wind	Bluefloat	900	Proposed[39]
Taumatatotara	Ventus Energy	32	Consented	Application for variation.[40]	38°14′22.93″S 174°49′37.52″E
Vernon	Manawa Energy	100	Proposed[30]
Waikato Offshore Wind	Bluefloat	1050–1400	Proposed[41]
Waikokowai	Mercury Energy	300	Proposed[42]	On fast-track list
Waiuku[43]	LET Capital	80	Consent declined[44]		37°19′57.12″S 174°41′18.04″E
Waiinu Energy Park	Meridian		Proposed[45]		39.843°S 174.739°E / -39.843; 174.739
Te Rere Hau (repowering)	NZ Windfarms		Under construction	Remove the 97 two-blade, 47m-high turbines already there and replace them with 30 three-blade, 162m-high turbines.	40°23′S 175°43′E
Aokautere Extension	NZ Windfarms	45	Consented[46]	Extend the Te Rere Hau wind farm footprint to the northwest, into the Ernslaw forestry block. If successful, would be able to install up to nine new wind turbines of 5MW each capacity.

Abandoned

Name	Operator	Projected capacity (MW)	Comments	Coordinates
Hauāuru mā raki	Contact Energy	540	Abandoned[47]	37°34′4″S 174°48′18″E
Project Hayes	Meridian Energy	630	Abandoned in January 2012	45°30′39″S 169°53′3″E
Project Hurunui	Meridian Energy	71	Consents lapsed in 2023[48]	42°59′33″S 172°57′32″E
Long Gully	Windflow Technology	12.5	Consents lapsed	41°19′36″S 174°43′4″E
Maungatua Wind Farm[49][50]	Windpower Maungatua	25	Abandoned[51]
Motorimu Wind Farm[52]	Motorimu Wind Farm	108	Consents surrendered[53]
Project Gumfields[54]	Meridian Energy	99	No consents, apparently abandoned
Puketiro	RES NZ	150	No consents, apparently abandoned	41°06′S 174°54′E
Rototuna	Meridian Energy	500	No consents, abandoned[55]	36°15′0″S 174°1′48″E
Taharoa Wind Farm[56]	Taharoa C	100	Consents lapsed[57]
Waitahora	Contact Energy	177	Consents lapsed, abandoned[58]	40°21′44″S 176°10′24″E

See also

• Energy in New Zealand
  • Biofuel in New Zealand
  • Electricity sector in New Zealand
  • Geothermal power in New Zealand
  • Hydroelectric power in New Zealand
  • List of power stations in New Zealand
  • Ocean power in New Zealand
  • Renewable energy in New Zealand
  • Solar hot water in New Zealand
  • Solar power in New Zealand
• Renewable energy by country
• Renewable energy commercialization