The solar farm will be in Bunnythorpe. (File photo) Photo: Unsplash
Meridian Energy has won consent to build a large solar farm near Palmerston North.
The 120 megawatt solar farm in Bunnythorpe would be alongside an already consented battery energy storage system.
The solar farm would have about 250,000 solar panels, and Meridian said it could produce up to 225 gigawatt hours of electricity per year, enough to power around 30,000 average homes.
The project was still subject to a final investment decision by Meridian’s board, expected in the fourth quarter of 2027.
“Solar energy is playing an increasingly important role in New Zealand’s electricity generation, and we’re excited to bring this to Manawatū,” Meridian’s general manager of development, Guy Waipara said.
Bunnythorpe Energy Park was part of $3 billion in investment on the cards by Meridian through to 2030, with the company (and their rivals) pursuing an aggressive strategy to build new renewable generation.
Meridian said the Manawatū project would create more than 100 local construction jobs, and up to $50m of local spending throughout construction.
The site would span 280 hectares between Ashhurst and Stoney Creek Roads, adjacent to Transpower’s Bunnythorpe substation.
Meridian was expecting to make final investment decisions on its Mt Munro wind farm in northern Wairarapa in late 2026, and its Te Rere Hau wind farm near Palmerston North in early 2027.
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