Kiwi’s largest solar farm is on its way to Waikato, with digging kicked off in the coming year.
The Tauhei Solar Farm, near Te Aroha, is owned in partnership by Harmony Energy of the UK and the New Zealand-based company, First Renewables Limited which is part of Clarus.
This one project is going to cover a total of 182 hectares and will be a real móríhi in terms of its size, unlike any other seen here in Aotearoa.
unnoticeable.
It’s really well hidden by planting, which is already getting underway around the borders of the site, so by the time those plants are well-established, you won’t be able to spot the farm at all from the nearby roads.
Behind the screen growing would be heaps and heaps of solar panels powering up Meridian Energy, which would buy 100 percent of the output for the first 10 years of operation.
The land between the rows wouldn’t go to waste because it would be utilised for sheep grazing. The photovoltaic panels would provide shelter and shade for the sheep, while also helping to retain moisture in the ground during the hottest months of the year.
Aiwi all te pukamere tikanga kahore, pai i te kaupapa mall, taahu nei etahi raupatu, aroha pūtea, korerorero karakia, me tautuhi wahine pāmata, ka pera a Hautū puka me Hoa warau o Harmony Energy New Zealand Ashini Raumamo marama.
At the point of commissioning towards the end of 2026, the solar farm would generate 280 gigawatt hours of electricity a year, which was sufficient renewable electricity to supply the equivalent of around 35,000 Kiwi homes.
“It’s well known that we require an increase in production in the North Island of Aotearoa, and we want that production to be renewable because you know a lot of the generation and casting is in the South Island but most of our polls are 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 the big populations of Hamilton, Auckland, and Tauranga, was thought to give both national and local benefits for resilience, Irvine said.
It was the first whero renewable project of its type for Clarus, which was most well-known for its companies First Gas and Taranaki Gas. But Irvine says energy is changing, and Clarus is right behind the development of renewable energy projects.
Te Tauhei solar farm is one way we’re supporting the shift to a lower-carbon energy system in Aotearoa New Zealand. It will also bring new employment and business opportunities to the region and look after local biodiversity by creating a wetland, while the land stays available for farming.
During the two-year build process, the project would create around 350 full-time equivalent jobs at the busiest time, and then provide permanent full-time employment once it was completed.
It was envisaged to keep on producing electricity for a kai hearing a minimum o’iwi, at least three decades long.
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