The Mahinerangi Wind Farm is a wind farm on the north side of Lake Mahinerangi, around 50 km west of Dunedin, in Otago, New Zealand. Stage one of the wind farm, generating 36 MW, was commissioned in March 2011.[2] An additional 160 MW is consented to be commissioned in further stages,[3] possibly to be expanded to 190MW.[4][5]
| Mahinerangi Wind Farm | |
|---|---|
 Four of the twelve turbines at Mahinerangi Wind Farm, 2 April 2011 | |
 | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Location | north of Lake Mahinerangi, Otago |
| Coordinates | 45°45′38″S 169°54′18″E / 45.76056°S 169.90500°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | September 2010 |
| Commission date | March 2011 |
| Construction cost | NZ$75 million[1] |
| Owner | Mercury NZ Ltd |
| Wind farm | |
| Type | Onshore |
| Rotor diameter | 90 m (295 ft) |
| Rated wind speed | 15 m/s (54 km/h; 34 mph) |
| Site area | 17.23 km2 (6.65 sq mi) |
| Site elevation | 600–730 m (1,970–2,400 ft) |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 12 |
| Make and model | Vestas: V90-3MW |
| Nameplate capacity | 36 MW Planned: 200 MW |
| Annual net output | 101 GWh (stage 1)[2] |
| External links | |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
The wind farm is owned and operated by Mercury NZ Ltd. It was the second major wind farm to be built in the South Island.
History
editResource consent was granted in 2007[6] and later confirmed after an appeal to the Environment Court.[7]
Construction of the Stage 1 turbines began in September 2010.[8] Vestas V90-3MW turbines were chosen for the wind farm, having previously been used for stage 3 of Tararua Wind Farm in 2007. Turbines were shipped to Port Chalmers, and trucked through Dunedin to their final site.
The wind farm generated its first electricity on 21 February 2011, with the first two turbines being commissioned.[9] All twelve Stage 1 turbines were completed and generating electricity by the end of March 2011.[1][2]
Location
editStage 2
editStage 2 at Mahinerangi is proposed for up to 100 wind turbines producing 160MW and an annual output of over 600GWh. Resource consents were granted in 2009.[3] In 2026, Mercury applied under the Fast Track Approvals Act to install fewer but larger turbines instead,[7] along with a 60MW battery.[4]
Transmission
editElectricity generated from Stage 1 turbines is injected into the nearby Deep Stream and Waipori hydro schemes. This uses the existing 33kV transmission line, avoiding the cost of additional transmission infrastructure.[2] Electricity from Stage 1 and the hydro schemes is then injected into either Dunedin's local distribution network, or into Transpower's Halfway Bush-Balclutha-Gore 110 kV line at Berwick.
Stage 2 and beyond is too large to inject into the Waipori/Deep Stream system. Instead, it will inject into Transpower's Halfway Bush-Roxburgh 110 kV line, which passes a short distance south of the wind farm.[3]
See also
edit
References
edit- 1 2 "DUNEDIN'S NEWEST WIND FARM OPEN TO THE PUBLIC". TrustPower. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 "Mahinerangi Wind Farm Stage 1". Tilt Renewables. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- 1 2 3 "Mahinerangi Wind Farm Stage 2". Tilt Renewables. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- 1 2 "Mahinerangi Wind Farm". Mercury. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ "Time frame shortened for wind farm decision". Otago Daily Times Online News. 10 February 2026. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ "TrustPower Welcomes Mahinerangi Wind Farm Decision". Scoop. 2007-10-01.
- 1 2 "Mahinerangi wind farm passes court hurdle". Otago Daily Times. NZPA. 22 December 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
- ↑ "Mahinerangi Wind Farm Project Community Meeting Progress Booklet". 15 December 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
- ↑ "Mahinerangi Windfarm up and in action". Channel 9 Dunedin. 21 February 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
- ↑ TrustPower Mahinerangi Wind Farm
- ↑ TrustPower - AEE Volume I
External links
edit- "Mahinerangi Wind Farm Stage 1". Tilt Renewables. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- "Mahinerangi Wind Farm Stage 2". Tilt Renewables. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- Upland Landscape Protection Society
