Harapaki is New Zealand’s second‑largest wind farm, boosting Aotearoa New Zealand’s ability to tackle climate change and accelerate the electrification of homes, businesses, and the wider economy.
Harapaki Wind Farm, Aotearoa New Zealand’s second-largest wind farm, became fully operational earlier this year, having been delivered within a month of its original completion date and inside its $448-million capital forecast.
The site is located within the Maungaharuru Range in Hawke’s Bay, approximately 35 kilometres north-west of Napier. Since it’s completion in July 2024, it has been making a significant contribution to the nation’s green energy generation.
Meridian’s General Manager Development, Guy Waipara, says, ‘Harapaki has been generating since last November and was around 90 per cent capacity at 30 June, but reaching full capacity means this wind farm is doing everything it can to help maintain security of supply.’
Located in northern Hawke’s Bay, Harapaki Wind Farm comprises 41 Siemens Gamesa SWT-DD-120 turbines generating 176 megawatts of clean, renewable power, providing electricity for around 70,000 average households – the equivalent of most of Hawke’s Bay.
The target date for full commissioning was revised last year from June to September 2024 after cyclones Hale and Gabrielle impacted both the site and the State Highway 5 transport route for components from Napier Port to the wind farm site.
Meridian Chief Executive Neal Barclay says getting back to a month out from the original completion date is an incredible result.
‘The project has certainly had its share of challenges, from COVID-19 to multiple major weather events, and it’s taken an amazing team effort to almost get us back to our original completion date.’
Sustainability
Meridian shares New Zealand’s goal of transitioning to a net-zero economy, and has its own aspiration to deliver seven new renewable electricity projects in seven years. The Harapaki Wind Farm project is the first.
‘We are continually looking to learn more and lift the bar when it comes to protecting the environment. What we’ve achieved at Harapaki has become the benchmark for other Meridian projects,’ says Barclay
Throughout the life of the project, around 75 per cent of materials have been diverted from landfill through reusing and recycling initiatives with the local community. A novel foundation design that requires less concrete, coupled with an onsite concrete plant, has significantly decreased transportation needs from Napier.
‘We’ve implemented a number of initiatives to reduce the environmental footprint of the project as part of Meridian’s commitment to sustainability. One key example at Harapaki is that we’re being very deliberate with our approach to materials that are often labelled as single-use. Instead of simply resorting to recycling or sending to the landfill, we actively seek alternative uses for these materials, finding creative solutions within our community.’
Any surplus materials are offered to Harapaki project members. ‘If there are no immediate takers, we reach out to local communities. This collaborative effort has yielded remarkable results throughout the project.’
Intermediate bulk containers are sturdy plastic containers encased in metal cages that can hold up to 1000 litres of liquid. There was a substantial need for these containers to fulfil various liquid storage requirements during the Harapaki project. Once used, they do not end up in landfill or recycling facilities; rather, the containers have proven to be incredibly useful for local farmers, and the local community eagerly receives them.
Community benefits
Meridian has sought to maximise the benefits to local business and employment, prioritising local labour, goods, and services. More than 2600 people have contributed to the project since its inception, and Meridian has maintained an average of 49 per cent locally employed staff, peaking at 57 per cent during civil works.