Lodestone Energy Powers Up Coromandel’s First Utility-Scale Solar Farm

Lodestone Energy, New Zealand’s leading solar-based generator-retailer has powered up its fourth North Island solar farm on the Coromandel Peninsula, just in time for the summer influx of holiday makers. The delivery of this project reinforces Lodestone’s commitment to energy resiliency for the region and Aotearoa New Zealand.

The solar farm, Pāmu Rā ki Whitianga, located on the outskirts of Whitianga township, is the region’s first utility-scale solar farm and marks another step toward Lodestone’s vision of ‘a solar farm in every community’.

Once fully operational, it will generate approximately 49 GWh of certified renewable electricity annually, enough to power 6,800 homes.

The farm features 53,400 solar panels and 7,150 piles, and under Lodestone’s agrivoltaics ‘dual use’ model, will have sheep grazing under and around the panels, enabling energy generation and traditional farming activities to operate side by side.

Gary Holden, Managing Director of Lodestone Energy, says Pāmu Rā ki Whitianga is a testament to what can be achieved when communities, partners and industry leaders work together.

“This project not only delivers clean, reliable electricity to the Coromandel, but also created local jobs while contributing to the region’s longer-term resilience.

“We’re proud to be leading the way as New Zealand’s foremost solar generator and retailer, bringing localised solar power to more communities nationwide.”

The project has created local employment during its 12-month build, with construction commencing in late 2024. Once completed, 9,300 eco-sourced natives will be planted, including the restoration of a wetland area.

Generation peaks over summer, align with the surge in electricity demand from holidaymakers which triples over the Christmas and New Year period – helping deliver a more reliable and localised power source when the region needs it most.

In parallel, local electricity network operator, Powerco, has completed the commissioning of its new switching station, which provides a connection for the solar farm to export renewable electricity into the Coromandel network.

Karen Frew, General Manager Electricity at Powerco, says the new switching station, which is designed for future 66kV to 110kV conversion as demand grows, also boosts the security of electricity supply to the upper Coromandel Peninsula and enables future regional growth.

“By establishing a switching station at Pāmu Rā ki Whitianga and through this partnership with Lodestone, we’re able to bring locally generated renewable energy straight into the local electricity network. The new switching station also boosts the security of supply for the Coromandel Peninsula and positions us well for the future with increased capacity as energy demands grow,” she says.

Lodestone’s solar-backed retail offering enables more customers to get behind renewable energy, advancing New Zealand’s carbon zero goals. By the end of the year, Lodestone will have brought 230 GWh of new renewable energy to market, capable of powering 32,000 Kiwi homes annually.

This is the fourth farm Lodestone has delivered in partnership with Infratec and New Energy, with installation efficiencies doubling since the first project. Lodestone is now expanding into the South Island with construction underway on its Clandeboye project and others advancing through planning.

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