Mill Creek wind farm
Mill Creek wind farm is located northwest of Wellington near Ohariu Valley.
The 26 turbines generate up to 59.8 megawatts of electricity, producing enough electricity each year for about 34,000 average New Zealand homes.
The Mill Creek wind farm is located on privately-owned farms in Ohariu Valley. The landowners chose wind farming because it will preserve the environment, lifestyle and rural character of the areas better than other development options such as a major housing subdivision or forestry. They selected Meridian to develop and operate the wind farm because of our experience with developing wind energy in New Zealand.
Mill Creek is largely hidden from Wellington’s urban area, but visible from high points in the city’s green belt.
Why build a wind farm here?
The Mill Creek wind farm has all the features we look for in a wind farm, mainly its consistently strong wind. The wind conditions at Mill Creek mean the turbines are expected to generate electricity 90% of the time.
The construction of the 26 turbines on the hills required approximately 800,000 cubic metres of earthworks and the construction of 19 kilometres of access tracks within the site.
Consent documents
In applying for resource consent for Mill Creek, Meridian assessed the environmental and cultural impacts of a wind farm in Ohariu Valley. The Environment Court ruled that with certain mitigations to reduce some effects, the project would be acceptable.
The Mill Creek Resource Consent contains many conditions to ensure the wind farm’s effects are kept to an acceptable level. You can find more information about this in the documents below:
Community Liaison Group
Meridian’s resource consent requirements included establishing a Community Liaison Group (CLG). Led by an independent chairperson, the CLG provided a forum for exchanging information and addressing community concerns during the construction of the Mill Creek wind farm. This group no longer meets, as the construction is complete. If you would like more information about the construction or operation of Mill Creek wind farm, call 0800 500 305 or email community@meridianenergy.co.nz.
Key dates
- Mar 2008
Meridian applies for resource consent - Aug 2011
Resource consent approved by the Environment Court - Sept 2012
Construction begins - Nov 2014
Mill Creek fully operational
Mill Creek showcased on Country Calendar
Farmer Gavin Bruce and his Ohariu colleagues used to curse the wind that lashes their beef and sheep farms. Then they hit on turning their biggest liability into a great resource. These days, Meridian is sharing their farms. Twenty-six wind turbines generate enough power for around 30,000 Wellington homes.
Ohariu Valley is minutes from downtown Wellington. The four 'wind farmers' told their story on TV1's Country Calendar. They say that 20 years ago an engineer who lived in the valley thought the spot would be ideal. The farmers realised they had to diversify to keep their farms viable, following a string of droughts. Wind farming was the winner. It has given them the security of a long-term future.
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First power is generated
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Turbine blades on site
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Turbine tower installation
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Working through the night
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Turbines arrive in Wellington
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Foundation pour
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Switching station
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A long-necked excavator
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Cut and fill earthworks
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Craning a turbine anchor cage into place
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Placing Concrete
First power is generated
Russell School student Jeremy Takao and Prime Minister John Key "switch on" a turbine at the first power ceremony, while CE Mark Binns and Chair Chris Moller look on.
Photo: Steven Boniface
Turbine blades on site
Turbine blades being stored at Mill Creek, ready to be transported to the turbine sites.
Photo: Tim Clark
Turbine tower installation
One of the 26 turbine towers being installed on site, with West Wind Farm in the background.
Photo: Tim Clark
Working through the night
Turbine tower sections on their way to Mill Creek.
Photo: Robert Penhey
Turbines arrive in Wellington
The first turbine components arrive from China on board the ship Da Dan.
Foundation pour
The large concrete hose pours thousands of litres of concrete over the reinforced steel that forms the turbine foundations. A total of 184,000 standard wheelbarrow loads were poured into the 26 turbine foundations.
Switching station
The newly constructed switching station provides the link between the 26 turbines and the transmission line that take the electricity down to the Wilton substation.
A long-necked excavator
Great for work on hilly country – including digging erosion and sediment controls in tight spots. For scale: Project Environmental & Compliance Advisor Alice Bradley.
Cut and fill earthworks
For many months Mill Creek was a roading project. Here are typical cut and fill earthworks on the wind farm's access road. The channel on top of the cut diverts is a clean water cutoff, which diverts clean runoff from pasture away from the exposed earth.
Photo: Damon Simmons
Craning a turbine anchor cage into place
Placing Concrete
Placing Concrete - West Wind and Cook Strait in background.
Meridian Power Up community fund
Our Power Up community fund supports local projects in the areas where we have wind farms and hydro stations. It’s one of the ways that we recognise the importance of local communities to our operations.
If you’re based near Mill Creek and have a project you’d like to get off the ground, apply now! 2020 applications are open.