All turbines installed at 176-MW wind farm in New Zealand

New Zealand power utility Meridian Energy Ltd (NZE:MEL) has erected the last turbine at its 176-MW Harapaki wind farm, close to the country's eastern coast, getting ready for the site’s full commissioning.

The last of 41 Siemens Gamesa machines was installed by the hardware manufacturer earlier than planned, which will allow the complex to go online ahead of schedule. “The focus now moves to getting the final turbines kitted out and connected, as we start counting down to full power, the electric utility said last week.

The Harapaki facility, located 50 km (31.1 mi) away from the port city of Napier and close to the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, will generate enough power to supply over 70,000 average households. The wind farm is already operating at 60% of its full capacity.

A joint venture of Hick Bros Civil Construction Ltd and Spartan Construction Ltd served as a civil engineering contractor for the NZD-395-million (USD 241.8m/EUR 222.9m) project.

(NZD 1.0 = USD 0.612/EUR 0.564)

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