New Zealand (NZ) has expanded its renewable energy portfolio with the official opening of the Kōwhai Park solar farm at Christchurch Airport.
The $153m (NZ$273m) project, which was opened by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, introduces 150MW-alternating current/168MW-direct current of generation capacity to the country’s electricity system.
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Developed through a partnership between Contact Energy and Lightsource bp, the Kōwhai Park solar farm is forecast to produce 275GW-hours (GWh) of renewable electricity annually.
According to the project’s developers, this output is estimated to be equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 36,000 households.
Electricity from the facility is already under contract to support both Christchurch Airport and dairy processor Synlait as part of long-term power purchase agreements.
Synlait is set to acquire 25% of the generated power for its operations at Dunsandel and Dairyworks.
The solar farm uses nearly 300,000 solar panels, which cover a 230-hectare site at Christchurch International Airport.
Lightsource bp Asia-Pacific chief operating officer Adam Pegg said: “Kōwhai Park is an important milestone for Lightsource bp as our first completed project in New Zealand.
“Working alongside Contact Energy, Christchurch Airport, local businesses and the wider community, we have combined international capability with local knowledge to deliver a project that will provide renewable energy for decades to come.
“We see significant opportunity for large-scale renewables to support New Zealand’s growing electricity needs, industrial electrification and long-term energy security.”
Construction of the Kōwhai Park solar farm involved 66 Canterbury businesses and peaked at 235 workers on-site.
Kōwhai Park is positioned by its partners as an important development towards meeting NZ’s future electricity demand and supporting industrial electrification.
Christchurch Airport CEO Justin Watson said: “Our vision for Kōwhai Park is to create a renewable energy precinct that can support new opportunities and deliver long-term value for our region.”
