Lodestone Energy has commenced construction of the 27.2 MW Clandeboye Solar Farm in South Canterbury on New Zealand’s South Island, with first power expected in the third quarter of 2026.
The project will comprise about 45,000 bifacial solar panels and six inverters spread across a 42-hectare site with the plant to connect to the Alpine Energy distribution network. When fully operational, the 27.2 MW plant is expected to generate about 43 GWh of clean electricity per year.
The New Zealand arm of United Kingdom headquartered renewables firm Ethical Power has been awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the Clandeboye project while the owners of the dairy farm on which the solar plant is being built will also be involved in the project, running sheep on the site as part of a dual land use agrivoltaic model.
Lodestone said the project is the fifth solar plant it has commenced construction on in the five years since the company’s inception and will form part of its broader plan to generate more than 800 GWh of solar energy annually by 2028, accelerating New Zealand’s zero-carbon journey.
Lodestone Managing Director Gary Holden said the rapid expansion of the company’s portfolio is essential with New Zealand needing significant volumes of new solar in order to build a more resilient, secure, lower-cost energy system as demand for electricity grows.
“Adding new generation at this pace is a crucial part of our vision to ensure New Zealand has a solar farm in every community,” he said. “We are committed to ensuring customers in all regions will have access to low-cost, renewable energy, and solar is the perfect way to complement the existing South Island hydro resources.”
Auckland-based Lodestone currently has three operating solar farms on the North Island, the 33 MWp Whitianga solar project in the Coromandel under construction, and a pipeline of other planned projects around the country.
These include developments in Dargaville, Manawatu, and a 220 MW project at Haldon Station in the South Island high country that is expected to begin construction later this year.
“We are planning to add a number of South Island sites over the next couple of years,” Holden said. “Electrification of industrial boilers and the growing interest in electric cars will mean new generation will be needed for many years to come. Customers seeking a low-cost hedge against rising power prices is a compelling reason to build as quickly as we can.”
The start of construction at Clandeboye comes after Lodestone recently completed a $46.4 million (NZD 50 million) capital raise that will help support its expansion plans.
“This raise means we can continue to add to our fleet of solar farms,” Holden said, noting that the support demonstrates that shareholders “see value in the Lodestone vision and the long-term role we can play in the market.”
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