120 MW solar farm in far north New Zealand gets green light – pv magazine Australia

September 27, 2024 Eve Foley

Wellington-headquartered Meridian Energy has been granted resource consent to build a 120 MW solar farm in Tai Tokerau Northland, 140 kilometers north of Auckland and is Stage 2 of the Ruakākā Energy Park.

With up to 250,000 solar panels, the Ruakākā Solar Farm will be capable of producing 150 to 200 GWh of electricity per year or enough to power more than half the homes in the region known as Northland.

Meridian’s Head of Renewable Development Rebecca Knott said the project will boost resilience for the region by reducing Northland’s reliance on electricity generated from other parts of the country.

“With the bulk of New Zealand’s electricity generation coming from the lower South Island and the North Island below Auckland, we’re proud to be developing such significant generation capacity in Tai Tokerau,” Knott said.

“This region is blessed with phenomenal natural resources, and we’re looking forward to delivering a fantastic new project that takes full advantage of that.”

The solar farm is Stage 2 of Meridian’s Ruakākā Energy Park which also includes a 100 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) that is in the advanced stage of construction and due for completion in early 2025.

“The Ruakākā Energy Park is one of a number of renewable energy developments Meridian has underway to improve the security of electricity supply and help create a low carbon future for all Kiwis,” Knott said.

“We’re committed to increasing the amount of renewable electricity we generate and store so that we can help meet New Zealand’s growing demand for clean energy.”

“That commitment is backed by a $3 billion (USD 2 billion) investment through to 2030 and a number of excellent projects already in, or approaching, the planning process,” Knott said.

Subject to the appeal period construction of the proposed Ruakākā Solar Farm will get underway in early 2025 and be completed in late 2026.

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