Meridian Energy has received consent to construct the 110MW Morrinsville Solar Farm in the Waikato region of New Zealand’s North Island.
The solar farm is to be built on a 134ha site located 2km east of Morrinsville.
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It is expected to include about 230,000 solar panels and could produce up to 200GWh of electricity annually. This output is estimated to be sufficient to supply more than 25,000 average homes in New Zealand.
The proposed Morrinsville Solar Farm would connect to the national grid via the nearby Piako substation, situated 600m north of the site.
The consent also covers the potential addition of a distributed battery energy storage system in the future.
Meridian CEO Mike Roan said: “It’s great to have received a green light. This solar farm is one of a large number of projects we have in our development pipeline that’ll help boost the country’s energy supply and help bring prices down.
“Each of these projects will also provide a valuable boost for local economies through new jobs and local spend.”
As part of Meridian’s sustainability commitments, the development will include native riparian planting, improvements to habitats and waterways, and sheep grazing among the solar panels to maintain land productivity. Plans also include screen planting to reduce visual impact.
Up to 100 construction roles could be created locally if the project proceeds, along with four to five permanent positions after construction.
Meridian anticipates the Morrinsville Solar Farm will deliver tens of millions of dollars in local economic activity during its build phase.
Construction is anticipated to start in 2028, subject to approval by the company’s board. Currently, it will move into an in-depth design and business case preparation stage, after which the completed proposal will be submitted to the Meridian board for final sign-off.
If approved, the project is estimated to be completed in nearly two years.
Roan said: “Meridian has a big role to play in building the new capacity New Zealanders are asking for, which is why we’re planning to invest around NZ$3bn ($1.74bn) through to 2030 to add more new renewable energy projects, further strengthen New Zealand’s electricity supply, and stay ahead of the growing demand for electricity.”
