Harapaki Wind Farm progress: driving towards sustainable energy

Our Harapaki Wind Farm in Hawke’s Bay has achieved a significant milestone, with half of the 41 turbines now installed and already generating renewable energy.

What does this mean for Aotearoa? Once completed, Harapaki will be New Zealand's second largest wind farm, and sufficient to power over 70,000 average households with a remarkable 176MW generation capacity.

Located north of Napier on SH5 in the Maungaharuru Range, the project has faced challenges, including high rainfall and strong winds - ideal conditions for energy generation but very challenging during turbine installation, especially in the spring.

Cyclone Gabrielle posed a significant challenge, causing devastating damage to communities in the Hawke’s Bay and beyond. We extend our thoughts to those still affected. Despite the setbacks, repairs to SH5 are complete, and the project remains on schedule.

With over 2,400 people contributing to this project since its inception, a key objective was to prioritise local labour, goods, and services. We’re proud to have maintained an average of 50% locally employed staff, peaking at 57% during civil works.

Guy Waipara, our General Manager Development, has commended the collaborative effort.

“We’ve had a great group of contractors and a site team that’are working really well together. Despite all the challenges, they’ve achieved this major milestone, and we're on track to maximize power output by winter 2024, reaching full power by September.”

The project marks several industry and company firsts, particularly in sustainability. We’ve used innovative strategies and processes to reduce waste and maintain low carbon emissions. A novel foundation design that requires less concrete, coupled with an on-site concrete plant, has significantly decreased transportation needs from Napier.

So far, we’ve averaged an impressive 75% of project materials had been diverted from landfill, by being reused on-site or within the local community. Reusable materials, such as wooden pallets, tarpaulins, old fencing, and drainage pipes, have been redistributed. This commitment to reusing materials extends to our existing wind farms, where all materials reaching the end of their life cycle are either recycled or stored until a sustainable solution is available.

The electricity generated from Harapaki will enhance resiliency and security of supply for the Hawke’s Bay, as although it feeds directly into the National Grid, it prioritises local use. As we near the completion of our sixth wind farm in New Zealand, we’re excited to contribute to Aotearoa’s goal of achieving 100% renewable energy generation by 2030. The Harapaki Wind Farm stands as a testament to innovation in energy generation and as a commitment to sustainable practices in the journey towards a greener future.