Construction begins on New Zealand’s biggest solar farm, another gets green light

Two solar farms planned for development in New Zealand have taken important steps forward this week, with construction beginning on the country’s largest solar farm, a 63MW project near Christchurch, while consent was also granted to build a 40.8MW project on the North Island.

New Zealand power company Genesis Energy and joint venture partner FRV Australia – the local subsidiary of Spanish renewable energy developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) – announced on Wednesday that they had begun construction on New Zealand’s largest solar farm.

The as-yet unnamed solar farm is located an hour’s drive from Christchurch, at Lauriston on the Canterbury Plains on New Zealand’s South Island.

Set out on a 93-hectare site, the project is expected to generate power equivalent to the needs of 13,000 households and will create more than 50 jobs during the construction phase.

Genesis and FRV expect the project to be completed and operational by year’s end, with a 10-year off-take power purchase agreement (PPA) already signed with Genesis Energy, who will take all the energy from the site.

“FRV Australia and Genesis have worked together to achieve this moment, our first project in New Zealand marks the beginning of a new era with Lauriston, the first large scale solar farm reaching operational stage in the country,” said Carlo Frigerio, CEO of FRV Australia.

“We are very excited with this alliance and a very promising pipeline of solar projects expected to be delivered in the coming years.”

Unlike its Trans-Tasman neighbour, New Zealand has been slow on the solar uptake, with both residential and commercial solar installations well behind peers like Australia.

However, support for solar has been shifting, and a number of projects around the country are in various stages of development.

“For New Zealand to reach net zero 2050 the country’s energy must become 60% electric, 95% renewable and available 100% of the time,” said Malcom Johns, Genesis Energy’s CEO,” who attended the sod-turning ceremony on Tuesday to celebrate the beginning of construction.

“Solar has a clear role to play in this transition, and Lauriston is the first stage of the joint venture commitment to build 500 MW of solar capacity throughout New Zealand.”

On New Zealand’s North Island, solar developer Far North Solar Farm announced that it has been granted consent to build a 40.8MW solar farm near Marton, in the Manawatū-Whanganui region.

To be built on 38-hectares, the 40.8MW project is the fifth project being developed by Far North Solar Farm to be granted consent. Construction is expected to begin soon on the first of these consented farms, a 22MW project in Pukenui, with a second project in Edgecumbe expected to begin construction later this year.

Two more projects in Waiotahe and Foxton have also received consent.

Far North Solar Farm is currently in talks with EPC firms and exploring options to build the farm in Marton, with a planned construction for the third quarter.

“The Marton solar farm is the first in our second tranche of developments to receive consent and we have three active applications currently in play for several other large sites, including a 420MW project in the Mackenzie Basin, with other farm locations soon to also be submitted,” said Richard Homewood, director of Far North Solar Farm.

In total, the company’s complete development portfolio includes 11 sites with 1.4GW worth of capacity. The portfolio is being developed in partnership with Aquila Clean Energy Asia Pacific and funded through a combination of equity and debt financing.

“Our objective in 2024 is to keep working with host communities and decision makers to ensure the full benefits of responsible solar development are recognised and embraced,” said Homewood.

“We’re confident as a company we’re on the right track to help advance the country’s push to transition to an electricity market that’s 100% renewables.”