New Zealand

In a big week for solar in the land of the long white cloud, Lightsource bp has announced a 50/50 partnership with New Zealand’s Contact Energy to pursue a large-scale solar portfolio in the country, generation which Contact Energy will purchase through a power purchase agreement.

A collaboration of United States and New Zealand developers, Helios Energy received private investment from Google executive Urs Hölzle and is setting its sights on grid-scale solar developments in New Zealand.

New Zealand’s federal government has opened the final funding round in its NZ$14 million (AU$13 million) Māori Housing Renewable Energy Fund, open to small and larger-scale projects.

Two of Australia’s most prominent energy players, Fortescue Future Industries and oil and gas giant Woodside Energy have been included on a shortlist of potential development partners for a proposed 600MW green hydrogen production and export facility planned for New Zealand’s South Island.

Vehicle manufacturer Foton and gas company BOC have signed an agreement to develop the hydrogen bus sector in Australia and New Zealand, allowing technology they say is already “widely used” around the world to become affordable in a region where it is still nascent.

International oil giant Shell is set to acquire Australian energy retailer Powershop after partnering with Sydney-headquartered investment manager Infrastructure Capital Group in a $729 million deal which will see the consortium purchase all of Meridian Energy’s Australian assets.

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures’ Australian platform has shifted its attentions to across the ditch, teaming with one of New Zealand’s largest energy providers in a joint venture which will develop up to 500 MW of solar PV capacity over the next five years.

Hive Energy, Ethical Power Group and Solar South West have set up a joint venture they hope will lead to 350 MW of utility scale installations in a country which does not suffer from grid congestion and which appears to have an energy transition-friendly administration.

Powering Australian Renewables Fund, a partnership between AGL Energy and QIC, has formally taken control of Tilt Renewables on the same day the consortium called on the Australian federal government to set a net zero 2050 target.

New Zealand could be home to the world’s largest green hydrogen production plant with gen-tailers Meridian Energy and Contact Energy teaming up to explore the potential development of a large-scale facility in the island nation’s southernmost region.