New Zealand has 17 wind farms comprised of 490 turbines. These wind farms currently have a combined installed capacity of 690 MW and supply nearly 6% of New Zealand’s annual electricity generation. Most wind farms are connected to distributed networks with only Tararua (stage 3), Te Apiti and West Wind being grid connected. The most recent wind farm constructed was Flat Hill in 2015.
The following table details wind farms in latest commissioning date order. Where there are multiple stages the wind farm is listed based on the first commissioning date:
Wind Farm |
Operator | Region | No. of Turbines |
Capacity (MW) |
Comm- ission Date |
Turitea | Mercury | Manawatu | 60 | Turbine: 3.6 Farm: 222 |
From late 2020 |
Waipipi | Tilt Renewables | South Taranaki | 31 | Turbine: 4.3 Farm: 133 |
From late 2020 |
Brooklyn | Meridian | Wellington | 1 | Turbine: 0.9 Farm: 0.9 Note: replaces original 0.23 MW turbine commis-sioned in 1993 |
2016 |
Flat Hill | Pioneer Energy | Bluff | 8 | Turbine: Farm: 6.8 |
2015 |
Mill Creek | Meridian | Wellington | 26 | Turbine: 2.3 Farm: 59.8 |
2014 |
Lake Grassmere | Energy3 | Marlborough | 1 | Turbine: 0.66 | 2014 |
Lulworth | Energy3 | Marlborough | 4 | Turbine: 0.25 Farm: 1.0 |
2011 |
Te Uku | Meridian | Waikato | 28 | Turbine: 2.3 Farm: 64.4 |
2011 |
Mahinerangi | Tilt Renewables | Clutha | 12 | Turbine: 3.0 Farm: 36.0 |
2011 |
Mt Stuart | Pioneer Energy | Clutha | 9 | Turbine: 0.85 Farm: 7.65 |
2011 |
Weld Cone | Energy3 | Marlborough | 3 | Turbine: 0.25 Farm: 0.75 |
2010 |
Chatham Islands | CBD Energy/ Chatham Islands Enterprise Trust | Chatham Islands | 2 | Turbine: 0.23 Farm: 0.46 |
2010 |
West Wind | Meridian | Wellington | 62 | Turbine: 2.3 Farm: 142.6 |
2009 |
Horseshoe Bend | Pioneer Energy | Central Otago | 3 | Turbine: 0.75 Farm: 2.25 |
2009 |
Tararua (Stage 3) | Tilt Renewables | Manawatu | 31 | Turbine: 3.0 Farm: 93.0 |
2007 |
White Hill | Meridian | Southland | 29 | Turbine: 2.0 Farm: 58.0 |
2007 |
Te Rere Hau | NZ Windfarms | Manawatu | 97 | Turbine: 0.5 Farm: 48.5 |
2006, 2008-2011 |
Southbridge | Energy3 | Canterbury | 1 | Turbine: 0.1 Farm: 0.1 |
2005 |
Hau Nui (Stage 2) | Genesis | Wairarapa | 8 | Turbine: 0.6 Farm: 4.8 |
2004 |
Tararua (Stage 2) | Tilt Renewables | Manawatu | 55 | Turbine: 0.66 Farm: 36.3 |
2004 |
Te Apiti | Meridian | Manawatu | 55 | Turbine: 1.65 Farm: 90.8 |
2004 |
Tararua (Stage 1) | Tilt Renewables | Manawatu | 48 | Turbine: 0.66 Farm: 31.7 |
1999 |
Hau Nui (Stage 1) | Genesis | Wairarapa | 7 | Turbine: 0.55 Farm: 3.9 |
1996 |
Total all wind farms | 581 |
1.045 |
Other wind farms constructed by NZ companies
Wind Farm |
Operator | Region | No. of Turbines |
Capacity (MW) |
Comm- ission Date |
Westray | Windflow UK | Scotland | 1 | Turbine: 0.5 Farm: 0.5 |
2013 |
Ross Island | Meridian | Antartica | 3 | Turbine: 0.33 Farm: 0.99 |
2010 |