Centralines Selects Lodestone As Joint Venture Partner For New Ongaonga Solar Farm

Centralines is pleased to announce the selection of Lodestone Energy to partner in the development of the recently announced solar farm in Ongaonga. This partnership represents a significant step forward in Centralines' commitment to renewable energy and sustainable development in the region.

Centralines has secured $8 million in funding from the Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) to contribute to the solar farm development, which will deliver local generation, improved energy resilience, and economic benefits to Central Hawke’s Bay.

Gary Holden, Managing Director of Lodestone, shared: “It’s a great honour to be selected as Centralines’ solar partner. We’ve been impressed with how Centralines have put the Ongaonga project together: it has expandable scale, adds value to the land proposition and will deliver value to the region for decades to come.”

Lodestone owns and operates three agrivoltaic solar farms across Aotearoa, with a fourth in Whitianga nearing completion. These sites support sheep grazing, preserving land productivity while benefitting from shade and shelter beneath the panels.

To extend its portfolio to the South Island, Lodestone recently announced that its fifth farm, in South Canterbury, will begin construction this year.

“This partnership represents an exciting opportunity supporting Lodestone’s vision of ‘a solar farm in every community’. We see huge potential in joint ventures of this nature, accelerating the delivery of renewable energy across the country. We look forward to getting stuck into the next phase and bringing this project to fruition,” said Mr Holden.

Fenton Wilson, Chair of Centralines, added: "We are thrilled to partner with Lodestone on this solar farm project. Lodestone brings their proven expertise in the development and operation of utility-scale solar farms to this project.

“The solar farm will generate approximately 52 gigawatt-hours annually and create a source of renewable energy for use in Central Hawke’s Bay providing power to the equivalent of 9,000 electricity connections. At peak generation, the farm will power the entire district while still exporting excess to the national grid.”

“This venture marks a significant milestone in our journey towards a sustainable future, and Centralines looks forward to the positive impact it will have on the community and the environment,” said Mr Wilson.

The solar farm will connect directly into the Centralines’ electricity network via a new Ruataniwha 33kV switchroom, located next to Transpower’s Waipawa grid exit point.

By introducing local generation, the solar farm is expected to attract more electricity retailers to the region – boosting competition and improving options for households and businesses.

In addition to its energy benefits, the project will provide a significant employment boost, with up to 80 jobs created during construction, including approximately 30 high-skilled roles.

Construction is planned to begin in December 2025, with the build expected to take approximately 12 months.

Notes:

Owned by the Central Hawke’s Bay Consumers Power Trust, Centralines plays a pivotal role in supporting the District’s community wellbeing and economic development—through strategic investment in infrastructure, providing local career pathways, and enabling sustainable growth.

About Lodestone Energy:

Lodestone Energy Limited is New Zealand’s leading utility-scale solar generation company. It was founded in 2019 to accelerate the national effort to decarbonise the energy sector. It is achieving this by developing a nationwide portfolio of right-sized solar farms in the right places, leveraging the best available technology, delivered in collaboration with local communities and customers. Lodestone Energy aims to contribute a substantial amount of solar production to the country’s electricity market and be a leader in bringing solar-based energy solutions to its customers. Learn more at www.lodestoneenergy.co.nz.

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