A 182-hectare solar farm will be built near Te Aroha. (File image) Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
New Zealand's biggest solar farm is coming to the Waikato, with construction due to begin this year.
The Tauhei Solar Farm, near Te Aroha, is jointly owned by Harmony Energy Limited (based in the UK) and a Clarus company, First Renewables Limited (based in New Zealand).
It will stretch over 182 hectares and will be on a scale unlike what New Zealand has seen before.
Despite its size, Clarus general manager for future fuels James Irvine said the panels were fairly unobtrusive.
"It's really well screened by planting, which is already actually taking place along the perimeter of the site, so by the time those plants become established, from the surrounding roads, you won't be able to see the farm at all."
Clarus general manager for future fuels, James Irvine. Photo: Supplied / Clarus
Behind the screen planting would be rows and rows of solar panels supplying power to Meridian Energy, which would purchase 100 percent of the output for the first 10 years of operation.
The land between the rows would not be wasted either as it would be used for sheep grazing. The photovoltaic panels were expected to provide shelter and shade for the sheep, while also helping to retain moisture in the ground during the hottest months of the year.
All major contracts, financing, consents and regulatory approvals were now in place, allowing the companies to push go on the solar farm, Harmony Energy New Zealand managing director Garth Elmes said.
At the time of commissioning in late 2026, the solar farm would generate 280 gigawatt hours of electricity per year, which was enough renewable electricity to supply the equivalent of approximately 35,000 New Zealand homes.
"It's no secret that we need more generation in the North Island of New Zealand, and we want that generation to be renewable because you know a lot of the generation and certainly the storage is in the South Island but most of our load is here in the north, so this helps, you know it's one step to help address that balance," Irvine said.
The solar farm's location, near to the large populations of Hamilton, Auckland and Tauranga, was believed to provide both national and local resilience benefits, Irvine said.
It was the first renewable project of its type for Clarus, which was most well-known for its gas companies First Gas and Rock Gas. But Irvine said energy was changing, and Clarus was right behind the development of renewable energy projects.
"The Tauhei solar farm is one way Clarus is helping drive the decarbonisation of New Zealand's energy system. It will also generate jobs and business opportunities and support biodiversity in the area by creating a wetland and allowing the land to continue to be used for farming."
During its two-year construction phase, the project would create around 350 full-time equivalent jobs during the peak of construction, as well as producing permanent full-time jobs once construction was completed.
It was expected to continue generating power for at least 30 years.
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