New Zealand energy company Nova Energy, owned by the Todd Corporation, has confirmed that it has secured all consents required to develop the proposed 400 MW Te Rāhui solar farm at Rangitāiki, about 35 kilometres east of Taupō.
Local councils provided land use consents in 2022 but Nova has had to wait for the Environment Court to sign off on the estimated $540 million (NZD 600 million) project being developed across an existing dairy farm.
Nova said in a statement that the Environment Court has now provided its consent and the way is clear for it to commence construction on what is New Zealand’s largest consented, grid-connected solar project.
“Following a lengthy appeal process, Nova Energy is pleased to confirm that all consents required to develop its 400 MW solar farm are now in hand,” Nova said in a statement, adding that construction is set to commence in “the second half of this year.”
The Te Rahui project will comprise approximately 900,000 solar panels spread across the 1,022-hectare Rangitāiki site. A substation will also be built on site and the facility will connect to Transpower’s 220 kV transmission line which bisects the northern part of the property. Nova plans to build the solar farm in two stages and when complete, the power plant will generate about 650,000 MWh of clean energy per annum.
Nova Chief Executive Officer Babu Bahirathan said the project is a significant step towards New Zealand’s renewable energy future with the company also investigating the potential to add battery energy storage at the site.
“The location of the site is advantageous, being on a 220 kV grid connection with land and grid capacity to, in time, host a large grid-scale battery system which will improve grid security,” he said.
Bahirathan said the wait for the Environment Court’s decision had allowed Nova to advance several workstreams including select contractors for the project, undertake site investigation work, and work through grid connection efficiencies.
Nova has also commenced environmental protection works at Te Rahui with 40,000 native plants already planted to help restore and improve biodiversity at the site. The company also intends to continue agricultural practices on site with dairy operations to be phased out as the solar plant is constructed and sheep to be introduced to help maintain the land post-construction.
The Te Rahui project is the second solar project in Nova’s energy generation portfolio with the company declaring it is “on a mission to become a leading solar power generator.”
One of New Zealand’s largest electricity retailers, and one of the largest wholesalers and retailers of gas, Nova also operates the 2.1 MW Kapuni solar farm – which was the country’s largest solar plant for some time – at Taranaki on the North Island. It has also been reported that the company has purchased land in the South Island with an eye towards constructing a 300 MW solar farm.
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