Te Uku Wind Farm Explained

Te Uku Wind Farm
Location:Te Uku, near Raglan
Country:New Zealand
Coordinates:-37.8783°N 174.9631°W
Owner:Meridian Energy and New Zealand
Status:Operational
Ps Electrical Capacity:64 MW
Cost:$230m
Ps Units Operational:28
Ps Units Manu Model:Siemens

SWT-2.3-101[1]

Wind Hub Height:800NaN0
Wind Rotor Diameter:1010NaN0
Wind Rated Speed:14-
Wind Farm Type:Onshore
Ps Site Elevation:500m
Ps Site Area:200ha

Te Uku Wind Farm is a wind farm located at Te Uku near Raglan. It has a capacity of 64 MW[2] [3] using 28 wind turbines. Construction was completed in March 2011,[4] at a cost of $200 million.[5] The farm covers an area of approximately 200ha.[6] The wind farm is jointly owned by WEL Networks and Meridian Energy.[7]

Resource consent was granted in May 2008[8] and appeals were resolved by November 2008. Construction of the wind farm began in 2010.[9] Hick Bros Civil and Spartan Construction won an award for outstanding technical and environmental planning.[10] The wind farm was officially opened by Prime Minister John Key in February 2011.[11] Te Uku was fully operational on 10 March 2011.[12]

Te Uku Windfarm is controlled from Wellington where Meridian has its control centre for running all of their New Zealand Hydro and Wind generation assets.

The windfarm is linked to the national grid at Te Kowhai substation by about 17km (11miles) of 33 kV lines on 159[13] steel poles built on concrete pile foundations[14] and an underground cable from just west of Waitetuna Valley Rd to Cogswell Rd,[15] a total of about 25km (16miles).[16] [17] [18]

Construction

Each 130.5 m. high, 318 tonne, turbine took 2 or 3 days to build using 4 cranes, the largest a 600 tonne KR Wind/NZ Crane Group Alliance crane. Towers were formed in 3 sections (made in Korea), and topped by Siemens components (as at Makara) - a 3.5 m circumference, 81 tonne nacelle, hub and 3 turbine blades. Barge transport was considered, but rejected in favour of road transporters running from September 2010 to January 2011.[19]

Pipiwharauroa Way

One of the mitigation measures was this walking and cycling track. The track climbs from a car park on Kawhia Rd, near Bridal Veil, runs about 6 km and climbs 280m to the windfarm on Wharauroa Plateau. Over 2 km of less interesting walking can be saved if the walk is started from the gate at the end of the driveable part of Plateau Rd. From this point Lake Disappear can be seen to the south after wet weather. The track peters out into the partly formed paper road (see the dashed line on the 1:50,000 map just north of the Pakihi Stream). It follows an ancient Maori track which was often used by warriors on raids between Waikato and Kawhia.[20]

The road access to the windfarm largely followed the paper road, which was started around 1900 (a local historian, Bob Vernon, wrote that a store ledger started at Te Mata in 1896 includes at least 11 workers on the road[21]) and seemingly abandoned a few years later, though Bob Vernon also wrote, "about 1919 the Public Works Department cut a six-foot track through solid bush, from the south-eastern end of the plateau [where it joins this paper road] to the head of the Makomako valley".[22]

In 2013 there was controversy between a local farmer and Waikato District Council about whether Pipiwharauroa Way could be closed for the lambing season.[23]

Microwave tower

From the mid 1950s a microwave tower has been on the crest of the hill overlooking Te Uku.[24] It is now also part of a smart metering network.[25] There is also a VHF repeater near the tower.[26]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. ere200911019 . www.siemens.com.
  2. Web site: Project Te Uku. Meridian Energy. https://web.archive.org/web/20150114111042/https://www.meridianenergy.co.nz/about-us/te-uku/. 14 January 2015. dead.
  3. Web site: Introduction and fact sheet. . https://web.archive.org/web/20111005050948/http://www.wel.co.nz/index.asp?pageID=2145861987. 5 October 2011. dead. 2008-09-23.
  4. Web site: Meridian Energy (press release) . 23 March 2011 . Gala Day Celebrates Completion Of Te Uku Wind Farm . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111010024848/http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/gala-day-celebrates-completion-te-uku-wind-farm/5/86126 . 2011-10-10 . Voxy.
  5. News: Meridian Energy to build 64 megawatt Raglan wind farm. Grant. Bradley. 16 October 2009. NZ Herald.
  6. Web site: WEL wind park resource consent application . WEL Networks Ltd . https://web.archive.org/web/20111005050902/http://www.wel.co.nz/files/Wind%20Generation/2.WDC%20applicationProjectDescription.pdf. 5 October 2011. 2008-09-21.
  7. Web site: Wind Park Update . WEL Networks Ltd . 2008-09-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111005051003/http://www.wel.co.nz/files/Wind%20Generation/WindParkUpdateSept08finalcopy.pdf. 5 October 2011. dead. 2008-09-23.
  8. Web site: Wind farm bid a winner . Waikato Times . 2008-05-30 . Mercury Energy. https://web.archive.org/web/20110106151801/http://www.mercury.co.nz/News/news_story.aspx?id=963. 6 January 2011. dead. 2008-09-21.
  9. First turbine goes up at Te Uku wind farm. 3 November 2010. Meridian Energy. 5 November 2010.
  10. Web site: Hick Bros & Spartan pick up prize for building Te Uku Wind Farm. Raglan 23. https://web.archive.org/web/20130222104522/http://www.raglan23.co.nz/2011/hick-bros-spartan-pick-up-prize-for-building-te-uku-win/. 22 February 2013. dead. 14 December 2014.
  11. News: PM blown away by wind farm. 10 February 2011 . Bruce . Holloway . Stuff. 13 February 2011.
  12. Construction of Te Uku wind farm complete . Meridian Energy . 31 March 2011 . 3 April 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110405003524/http://www.meridianenergy.co.nz/about-us/news/media-releases/2011/construction-of-te-uku-wind-farm-complete/ . 2011-04-05.
  13. Web site: Raglan Chronicle. Issuu. 2015-12-09. 30 July 2010.
  14. Web site: Wind Farm Electricity Generation: Edison. www.edison.co.nz. https://web.archive.org/web/20130208112659/http://www.edison.co.nz/wind/id/152. 8 February 2013. dead. 2015-12-09.
  15. Web site: WEL Networks western upgrade. Raglan 23. https://web.archive.org/web/20130213145113/http://www.raglan23.co.nz/2010/wel-networks-western-upgrade/. 13 February 2013. dead. 2015-12-09.
  16. Web site: John key opens Te Uku Wind Farm. Raglan 23. https://web.archive.org/web/20130222131604/http://www.raglan23.co.nz/2011/john-key-opens-te-uku-wind-farm/. 22 February 2013. dead. 2015-12-09.
  17. News: Raglan wind farm wins top award. 19 August 2011. Waikato Times. 19 August 2011.
  18. News: Wel's windfarm critic has plenty of hits at hearing. 29 February 2008. Waikato Times. 19 August 2011.
  19. Web site: First Turbine Goes Up At Te Uku Wind Farm. Raglan 23. 14 December 2014.
  20. Book: Raglan County Hills and Sea: A Centennial History 1876-1976 . C. W. Vennell . Susan Williams . Wilson & Horton . 1976 . 76 . 9780868640020 . 2012-12-18.
  21. Te Mata - Te Hutewai the Early Days R. T. VERNON 1972 A. O. RICE LIMITED
  22. Book: Te Mata, Aotea. 14 December 2014. Vernon. Robert Thomas. 1973.
  23. Web site: ISSUU - Raglan Chronicle by Raglan Chronicle. Raglan Chronicle. Issuu. 14 December 2014.
  24. http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-37.87045,174.97045&z=14&pin=1&lbl=Te%20Uku%20microwave%20mast Te Uku microwave mast on 1:50,000 map
  25. http://www.4rf.com/assets/documents/Aprisa%20XE%20Case%20Study%20-%20WEL%20Networks%20English.pdf Aprisa XE and Aprisa SR empower robust, reliable, digital multi-service network
  26. Web site: Te-Uku part of new amateur radio network . 17 December 2014 . Raglan 23.
  27. Web site: Te Uku Wind Farm. www.windenergy.org.nz. 2015-12-09.

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