“Construction started in April 2024 and energisation is targeted for early 2025. An engineering, procurement and contracting (EPC) company — Photon Energy NZ Pty Ltd — has been appointed to build and deliver the project.”

Site establishment works took place in May-June, including fencing, project signage, clearing vegetation, minor site levelling works, constructing site lay-down area, installing site sheds and security.

From June to November, civil works will be progressed such as internal roads and tracks constructed on the site. About 35,000 photovoltaic (PV) modules measuring 2.1m x 1.1m will be delivered and mounted to panels and support frames.

Pukenui Solar Farm would create up to three FTE jobs during operations, the spokesperson said.

The site is on land previously used for grazing. It was specifically chosen because it is flat and is right next to the Pukenui substation where the power will feed into the Top Energy distribution network.

“Close proximity to existing power infrastructure is crucial because solar farms need to be able to connect to the electricity grid to input their power — like an extension cord plugging into a wall socket. The shorter the extension cord, the more cost-effective the connection,” the spokesperson said.

The solar panels will be mounted on galvanised steel structures, which will be supported by galvanised steel piles. The panels will be stationary on a fixed east-to-west tilt — like a shallow A-frame roof — with the apex 1.6m above the ground and the lower edge 800mm.

There is a smaller section of the site on the other side of Lamb Rd that will have panels fixed facing north at a maximum height of 1.8m. The different contours of the land on this smaller site require a different panel design layout to gain maximum efficiency.

“There are gaps between the panels so rain will run off on to the whenua just as it currently does, and sheep may be used to graze the paddocks beneath the panels,” the spokesperson said.

“The perimeter of the solar farm will be fenced and planted with trees and native vegetation which will screen the farm from most viewpoints over time, so the development will have minimal long-term visual impact. Once built, the panels will need cleaning from time to time.

“Building solar farms is a highly technical industry and one we don’t have a lot of experience with here in NZ. However, there is still a lot of scope for local employment and the project is currently employing 37 locals in various roles such as management and supervisory roles; installation — civil, fencing, mechanical; engineering consultancy.”

The main EPC has also contracted three residents on to their staff. There will be more local roles available in the coming months as the PV modules are assembled.

The project is also supporting other local businesses.

The Far North already has the largest solar farm built in the country so far. Lodestone Energy opened a massive solar farm in Gill Rd, just a few kilometres from the centre of Kaitāia, to provide power for the national grid. The farm covers a whopping 64ha, has a capacity of 23.7MW and is expected to produce about 56GWh annually.

Northland is set to become a solar farm hotspot with other farms planned for Ruawai, Maungtūroto and Ruakākā.

■ Far North Solar Farm is a utility-scale solar energy asset developer based in Auckland. Together with Aquila Clean Energy Asia Pacific, a clean energy platform headquartered in Singapore, the partnership is investing in a portfolio of 11 utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects (including Pukenui) across New Zealand with a total 1.4GW pipeline of projects under development. This represents almost 15 per cent of the country’s total operational electricity production capacity, which was 9.79GW in 2022 (MBIE). Aquila Clean Energy is part of Aquila Group, a global sustainable investment management and asset development company based in Hamburg, Germany