Genesis Energy explains why it sold New Zealand’s first wind farm, Hau Nui, in the Wairarapa, to NZ Wind Farms.

Hau Nui is a 15-turbine wind farm located 21 km south-east of Martinborough.

It was built in two phases: the first phase in 1996 consisted of seven 550kw Enercon turbines; The second stage consisted of eight 600kw Enercon turbines added by Genesis in 2004.

Hau Nui, which means “great wind” in te reo Māori, had an installed capacity of 8.65 megawatts.

Tracey Hickman, Genesis’ wholesale manager, said Hau Nui has been a valuable asset in the company’s renewable energy portfolio for years.