Lodestone generates first power from Pāmu Rā ki Whitianga solar farm

New Zealand solar-based gentailer Lodestone Energy has begun generating power at its fourth solar farm located on the North Island in a further step toward achieving the company’s vision of ‘a solar farm in every community’.

December 5, 2025 pv magazine

Image: Lodestone Energy

Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) solar-based gentailer Lodestone Energy has started generating power at its fourth grid-scale facility located on the North Island’s Coromandel Peninsula near Whitianga, 100 kilometres east of Auckland.

The 33 MWp Pāmu Rā ki Whitianga solar farm is the region’s first utility-scale solar farm This is the fourth farm Lodestone has delivered in partnership with Infratec and New Energy, with installation efficiencies doubling since the first project. a

Lodestone is currently constructing its fifth site in South Canterbury and has a sixth site in Central Hawkes Bay set to begin in 2026.

Once fully operational, Pāmu Rā ki Whitianga will generate approximately 49 GWh of certified renewable electricity annually, enough to power 6,800 homes.

The farm features 53,400 solar panels and 7,150 piles, and under Lodestone’s agrivoltaics ‘dual-use’ model, will have sheep grazing under and around the panels, enabling energy generation and traditional farming activities to operate side by side.

Lodestone Energy Managing Director Gary Holden said Pāmu Rā ki Whitianga is a testament to what can be achieved when communities, partners and industry leaders work together.

“This project not only delivers clean, reliable electricity to the Coromandel, but also created local jobs while contributing to the region’s longer term resilience,” Holden said.

“We’re proud to be leading the way as New Zealand’s foremost solar generator and retailer, bringing localised solar power to more communities nationwide.”

The project has created local employment during its 12-month build, with construction commencing in late 2024. Once completed, 9,300 eco-sourced natives will be planted, including the restoration of a wetland area.

Generation peaks over summer, align with the surge in electricity demand from holidaymakers, which triples over the Christmas and New Year period – helping deliver a more reliable and localised power source when the region needs it most.

In parallel, local electricity network operator Powerco has completed the commissioning of its new switching station, which provides a connection for the solar farm to export renewable electricity into the Coromandel network.

Powerco Electricity General Manager Karen Frew said the new switching station, which is designed for future 66 kV to 110 kV conversion as demand grows, also boosts the security of electricity supply to the upper Coromandel Peninsula and enables future regional growth.

“By establishing a switching station at Pāmu Rā ki Whitianga and through this partnership with Lodestone, we’re able to bring locally generated renewable energy straight into the local electricity network,” Frew said.

“The new switching station also boosts the security of supply for the Coromandel Peninsula and positions us well for the future with increased capacity as energy demands grow.”

By the end of 2025, Lodestone will have brought 230 GWh of new renewable energy to market, enough to power 32,000 NZ homes annually.

Lodestone is now expanding into the South Island, with construction underway on its Clandeboye project and others advancing through the planning stage.

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