Meridian Energy has received consent to build a 110MW solar farm near Morrinsville, Waikato, as the company expands its renewable energy pipeline in New Zealand.

The Morrinsville Solar Farm will feature around 230,000 solar panels across a 134-hectare site and is expected to generate up to 200GWh of electricity annually, enough to power more than 25,000 average Kiwi homes.

The site, located 2km east of Morrinsville and 600m south of the Piako substation, will connect to the national grid. The consent also allows for future electricity storage through a distributed battery energy storage system.

The solar farm is expected to create more than 100 local construction jobs and contribute tens of millions of dollars in local expenditure if built. Following construction, the project is expected to create four to five permanent jobs.

Meridian also plans to invest around $3b through 2030 to develop new renewable energy projects and strengthen New Zealand’s electricity supply.

The Morrinsville Solar Farm remains subject to a final investment decision by the Meridian Board. If approved, construction could begin in 2028 and take around two years to complete.

[Source: Meridian Energy]