Hau Nui

Hau Nui wind farm is situated in the South Wairarapa and has 15 wind turbines. The wind farm was constructed in two stages. Stage 1 was constructed at the northern end of Range Road in 1996 and Stage 2 was completed in 2004.

Description of the Hau Nui Wind Farm.

Hau Nui Key Facts

	Stage 1	Stage 2
Year Commissioned	1996	2004
Total Capacity	3.85MW	4.8MW
Generation Units	7 x Enercon E40, 550 KW each	8 x Enercon E40, 600KW each
Turbine features	40 metres, average wind speed 9.5m/s	40 metres, average wind speed 9.2m/s

Contribution to the National Grid

Hau Nui uses renewable wind energy to generate electricity for supply to consumers via the local Wairarapa network, and at times via the national grid. The wind farm provides enough power for around 4,200 homes in the Martinborough area, and depending on demand and output, as far as Greytown. Hau Nui has the capacity to generate 8.65MW and there is potential for further development in the future.

Challenges faced in operating the scheme

Each turbine generates up to 500KW of electricity, depending on the wind speed at the time. The turbines will only generate in wind speeds between 2.5 metres per second (10 km/hour) and 34 metres per second (120 km/hour). Outside of this range the turbines are shut down.

Another interesting feature of the wind farm is that no staff are required on site as the turbines have their own independent electronic control system monitoring wind direction and speed. If wind speed should exceed the maximum or ‘rated’ capacity of the turbines then the turbines automatically shut down to avoid damage. Each blade has its own electric pitch system which automatically adjusts the angle of the blades to the wind to maintain constant power and avoid damage. Genesis Energy staff assess the functioning of the turbines via a modem.

Genesis Energy has resource consents to operate and maintain the Hau Nui Wind Farm.