Company spokesman Alan Seay says the major milestone was reached on Saturday with the installation of the 70m-diameter rotor. “The project is on course for full commissioning later this month, when Te Apiti will be capable of generating to its full 90 megawatt capacity.”
Te Apiti is proving to be a major tourism drawcard for the Manawatu region. The Tararua District Council has recorded over 1200 vehicles per week visiting the Meridian public viewing area near one of the turbines in the last week of September and Destination Manawatu estimates the wind farm could be worth up to NZ$7 million to the region in tourist activity.
The Danish-built 1.65MW wind turbines are the largest currently in use in New Zealand, and each of them can generate enough electricity to power up to 900 average homes.
Meridian Energy is currently investigating another major wind farm development near Lumsden, Southland.
