After successfully building the region’s first utility scale solar farm at Gisborne Airport, we’re now taking these learnings to a new project on the East Coast.
Eastland Generation and The Proprietors of Mangaheia No. 2D Incorporated (Mangaheia 2D) are collaborating on plans for a 22MWac solar farm in Ūawa. At over four times the size of Te Ihi o te Rā, the new Ūawa plant will generate approximately 36GWh of renewable energy. That’s enough to power around 4,800 homes.
Location
The proposed new 22MWac solar farm will be sited on a 23-hectare block of land that runs alongside Waipurupuru Road, about 5km northeast of the Tolaga Bay township.
This land is owned by Mangaheia 2D. They are a significant Māori land incorporation in Ūawa and manage over 1,000 hectares of primarily farm land. Their operations include cropping, forestry, horticulture, sheep and beef.
Design
The solar farm will be made up of around 44,000 bi-facial solar panels, configured with a low profile to sit lightly on the land. There will be a substation and switch room. It will connect to Firstlight Network’s 50kV sub-transmission line, which passes through the site. The design allows for the addition of a battery energy storage system in the future.
The existing stop bank will be upgraded, with native plantings minimising visual impacts and enhancing biodiversity. Stock will be able to continue grazing on the pasture beneath the solar panels.
“We’re dedicated to sustainably managing renewable resources, developing our generation base, building regional energy resilience and supplying electricity to support New Zealand’s economic growth.”
Strengthening Tairāwhiti’s energy resilience
As Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events have shown, it’s essential to improve the region’s energy security and capacity. This project will provide support and distributed generation throughout the electricity network.