Transmission
Te Āpiti was the first wind farm in New Zealand to connect directly to Transpower's national grid. Previously constructed windfarms, including Hau Nui and Tararua, connected to the national grid via local distribution and sub-transmission lines.
Electricity from the 55 turbines is sent via a 48-kilometre (30 mi) network of underground cables to the Te Apiti substation near the lookout, where the electricity is stepped-up to 110 kV for transmission. A 4.5-kilometre (2.8 mi) single-circuit transmission line runs east from the substation, down to the Woodville substation, where electricity generated by Te Āpiti is distributed via three 110 kV circuits to the Hawke's Bay (two circuits) and the Wairarapa (one circuit). An additional twin-circuit line connects Woodville to Bunnythorpe, near Palmerston North, where Te Āpiti's generation is connected to the 220 kV grid for distribution to Wellington, Waikato, and Taranaki.
Read more about this topic: Te Apiti Wind Farm