Kōwhai Park has officially opened at Christchurch Airport, marking a major milestone for renewable energy, with around 300,000 solar panels expected to generate enough electricity to match the annual demand of 36,000 homes.
The South Island's largest solar farm has officially opened in Christchurch, adding 150MWac (168MWdc) of renewable generation capacity to New Zealand’s electricity system.
Prime Minister Rt Hon Christopher Luxon opened Kōwhai Park, marking a major milestone for the NZD 273 million renewable energy project.
Developed through a joint venture between Contact Energy and Lightsource bp, the Kōwhai Park solar farm at Christchurch Airport is expected to generate 275GWh of renewable energy a year. That’s equivalent to the annual electricity demand of around 36,000 homes.
The solar farm is already supporting electrification in New Zealand industry. Both Christchurch Airport and Synlait will source electricity from Kōwhai Park under long-term power purchase agreements. Synlait will buy 25 percent of the electricity generated to power its Dunsandel and Dairyworks sites.
Around 300,000 solar panels stretch across the 230-hectare site at Christchurch International Airport, creating one of the country’s largest solar farms.
CEO Mike Fuge said the Kōwhai Park solar farm showed the opportunity renewable energy offers New Zealand.
“New Zealand has an incredible renewable energy advantage. Building new generation at scale gives businesses the confidence to electrify and strengthens our security of supply. That means a more resilient energy system, with more home-grown generation supporting a productive and prosperous New Zealand,” said Fuge.
“Kōwhai Park is our first completed solar farm, and we have another two consented sites in Taranaki and Northland in joint venture with Lightsource bp. We have huge aspirations for what renewable energy can deliver for this country.”
Construction has also delivered significant local economic benefits, with 235 people employed at the project's peak and 66 Canterbury businesses involved in helping to build the solar farm.
Christchurch Airport Chief Executive Justin Watson said Kōwhai Park showed what can happen when you think differently about how airport land can be used. The vision started at Christchurch Airport, and bringing Contact Energy and Lightsource bp together to help realise it has been a fantastic example of what strong partnerships can achieve.
“For us, this has always been about more than a solar farm. Our vision for Kōwhai Park is to create a renewable energy precinct that can support new opportunities and deliver long-term value for our region,” he said.
“Seeing the solar farm operating today is a significant step towards that vision and something we’re incredibly proud to have delivered together.”
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