New Zealand

Electricity generator and retailer Nova Energy is moving ahead with what is to be New Zealand’s largest solar farm after receiving the green light to build a 400 MW PV power plant near Taupō in the centre of the country’s North Island.

New Zealand generator and retailer Contact Energy has announced plans to build a 100 MW / 200 MWh battery energy storage system on the country’s North Island that will support the development of new renewables including solar generation.

Renewables developer Lodestone Energy will build a 220 MW solar farm on one of New Zealand’s iconic high-country grazing properties with the landowners targeting the PV facility to help rehabilitate redundant land.

Singapore-based renewable energy fund manager SC Oscar has snapped up New Zealand solar project developer Rānui Generation as part of its strategy to build a portfolio of renewable energy assets in both New Zealand and Australia.

United Kingdom renewables company Ethical Power has the green light to develop the agrivoltaic 65 MW Buckleys Road Solar Farm and battery energy storage system in New Zealand’s south island.

Australia’s largest general insurance company has inked a power purchase agreement with Cleanpeak Energy that will source supply from the 1.5 MW Grong Grong Solar Farm in southwest New South Wales.

Fast-track approvals legislation in New Zealand is catching the eye of renewable energy investors in Australia amid concerns that bureaucratic red tape is impacting the timely delivery of key clean energy generation and storage projects.

New Zealand-based green hydrogen company Hiringa Energy has raised the bar for decarbonising the heavy transport sector by kickstarting an Australasian-wide refuelling network but the company has warned government policies are putting the brakes on its Australian plans.

The rollout of large-scale solar in New Zealand continues to gather pace with renewables developer FRV Australia and joint venture partner Genesis Energy announcing that construction proper has commenced on a 47 MW solar farm at Lauriston on the country’s South Island.

New Zealand battery technology company ArcActive is planning to establish a manufacturing plant in Australia within 18 months that will be capable of producing 30,000 lead acid-based residential energy storage systems per year.