Kiwi developer’s 20 MW solar array to power 2,000 homes from 2025

Aotearoa New Zealand developer Far North Solar Farm has 70% of modules installed at its 20.8 MW Pukenui solar farm, earmarking early 2025 to start generating electricity.

December 20, 2024 Ev Foley

Image: Far North Solar Farm

Auckland-headquartered developer Far North Solar Farm (FNSF) has closed off 2024 with 70% of modules installed at its 20.8 MW Pukenui solar farm, eyeing readiness to proceed to switch on and begin generating in early 2025.

Deploying 35,000 solar panels, Pukenui is under construction on a 17-hectare site and once complete, will power 2,000 homes, and reduce emissions the equivalent of 1,635 cars.

The Pukenui Solar Farm project employs locals, encouraging renewable energy skills development, which will be transferable to other renewables projects.
*Image: Far North Solar Farm*

FNSF has 11 sites in various stages of development around Aotearoa with a total generation capacity of 1.4 GW, or the equivalent to power around 250,000 homes, more than the entire city of Wellington, each day.

In a joint venture with Singapore-headquartered Aquila Clean Energy APAC, Far North secured debt finance for Pukenui in May 2024, from Westpac New Zealand under the finance organisation’s sustainable lending programme.

In August 2024, the New Zealand Green Investment Finance (NZGIF) provided FNSF a $70.4 million (USD 43.8 million) facility to finance grid connection infrastructure and broader development activities required by FNSF across five sites.

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