November 6, 2015
New Zealand

Wellington wind turbine to get bigger – much bigger

Mega-turbine for Brooklyn | Tom Hunt | Stuff | November 6 2015 | www.stuff.co.nz

A wind turbine with the power to run almost 500 homes has been confirmed for the hill above the Wellington suburb of Brooklyn.

The 67-metre high turbine will replace the existing 45 metre tall turbine which was installed in 1993 and was the first commercial-sized wind turbine in New Zealand.

Meridian Energy on Friday said the new turbine would arrive in Wellington in March, 2016 and be operating by April.

Each blade would be 20.8m long, slightly less than the length of a tennis court, and from base to tip the turbine would be about the height of the Beehive in Wellington.

“The current turbine has become iconic,” Meridian spokesman Guy Waipara said.

“It is part of the cityscape and is valued by the local community and wider Wellington region.”

The existing turbine will be removed in December.

The new one will generate enough power for 490 homes.

The budget to replace the turbine is $2.9 million.

Meridian was granted resource consent for the new turbine in July, 2014.

It was permitted to build one up to 77m – 10m taller than the one being built.

At the time, Brooklyn Residents Association chairman Simon McLellan said better use of ridgelines could be made, but in general the community backed the replacement of the old turbine.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/11/06/wellington-wind-turbine-to-get-bigger-much-bigger/