New Zealand

The New Zealand government will further investigate the viability of establishing a pumped hydroelectric facility on the South Island that would provide up to 8.5 TWh of annual generation and storage capacity to support the nation’s transition to 100% renewable electricity generation.

The European Commission has presented the final version of its new rules for green hydrogen, with looser requirements to qualify hydrogen as “green.”

Lightsource bp and ‘gen-tailer’ Contract Energy’s plans to build up to 380 GWh of annual generation of grid-scale PV in New Zealand by 2026 are now in motion with the companies chosen to develop what will be one of the nation’s largest solar farms on the South Island.

New Zealand government-owned Genesis Energy and renewables partner FRV Australia have purchased an advanced 52 MW agrivoltaic solar project on New Zealand’s South Island. If the project meets its 2024 operational target as anticipated, it will be the country’s first utility-scale solar farm.

A distribution agreement between Europe-based Enermech and Wolftank Group will see mobile hydrogen refuelling stations installed at remote mine sites and industrial sectors across Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand is set to have its first big battery by 2024, after Meridian Energy awarded a contract to build the 100 MW / 200 MWh Ruakākā Battery Energy Storage System to Saft, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies.

New Zealand generation company Lodestone Energy has commenced early construction works on the first of five utility-scale solar farms it intends to develop across the nation’s upper North Island at a cost of $285.5 million (USD 191.5 million).

A new player has entered the Australian renewable energy sector with New Zealand-based infrastructure investor Infratil confirming that its new majority-owned clean energy platform Mint Renewables will look at wind, solar and energy storage opportunities with an initial investment of $300 million (USD 203 million).

Woodside has won out over Fortescue Future Industries to deliver the proposed Southern Green Hydrogen megaproject in New Zealand’s Southland. The 600 MW project intends to produce green hydrogen for export using power from partner Meridian Energy’s hydroelectric plant.

New Zealand’s solarZero says it aims to provide fast, sustained reserves with its virtual power plant of 10,000 household battery systems. Meridian Energy, meanwhile, has secured approval for a 100 MW battery energy storage system – the country’s largest such system to date.