Construction of the Tauhei Solar Farm project in Te Aroha, Waikato, is set to commence this year. The joint venture between the UK-based Harmony Energy and New Zealand’s First Renewables has successfully completed all major contracts, financing, consents, and regulatory approvals necessary for the project.
“We are excited to have reached this significant milestone, with all major contracts, financing, consents and regulatory approvals now in place. We will now start construction on New Zealand’s largest solar farm, marking a significant milestone for the nation in its pursuit of providing cleaner, home-grown energy,” Harmony Energy New Zealand managing director Garth Elmes said.
The construction expenses are expected to be around $250 million.
The solar farm initiative is backed by a power purchase agreement with Meridian Energy, which will acquire all of the generated electricity for the initial ten years of its operation.
“Tauhei Solar Farm ticks all the boxes for us—it’s an exciting development generating clean energy from the abundant Waikato sun that’ll add more resilience to New Zealand’s electricity supply,” Meridian chief executive Neal Barclay said in a statement.
“I congratulate Harmony Energy and First Renewables for their progress on this outstanding project – it adds real value to New Zealand,” he added.
Elecnor, a prominent global contractor specialising in renewable energy engineering, procurement, and construction, will stand as the primary construction partner for the solar farm project.
The Tauhei Solar Farm, anticipated to be New Zealand’s largest, will have a capacity of 202 megawatt peak (MWp) and will be built on 182 hectares near Te Aroha.
It is projected to produce 280 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, sufficient to power approximately 35,000 homes in New Zealand.
During its two-year construction period, the project is expected to create around 350 full-time equivalent jobs at peak construction and will generate permanent full-time positions once completed.