Meridian’s $227m Ruakaka solar farm to start August

Meridian Energy’s 130MW Ruakaka solar farm is due to start construction in August 2025.

The $227 million project got a final investment decision and construction approval from the Meridian board.

The Ruakaka solar farm will provide benefits to the New Zealand energy system and Northland’s energy resilience, says Meridian chief executive Neal Barclay.

“This project is special – not just because it’s our first solar farm in New Zealand but because it will add so much to the Northland region in terms of energy resilience, and we’ve seen in recent years how important that is.”

Barclay says these are busy times for Meridian and many others investing in the generation market.

“Our collective efforts will enable more electricity use, provide alternatives to thermal fuels and boost the country’s energy security in dry years,” he says.

“As more and more new renewable generation comes online, we’ll start to see wholesale power prices come down, which is what we want for Kiwi homes and businesses.”

The Ruakaka solar farm will have 250,000 solar panels and cover an area the size of 170 rugby fields, capable of producing up to 230GWh of electricity annually – enough to power about half Northland’s homes.

It’s next to Meridian’s 100MW Ruakaka battery energy storage system (BESS), expected to be fully operational in April, and will complete the company’s Ruakaka Energy Park.

Other recent milestones in Meridian’s development pipeline include consent for its 90MW Mt Munro wind farm near Eketahuna, the announcement of a 50-50 joint venture with Nova Energy to build the 400MW Te Rahui solar farm at Rangitaiki near Taupo, and consent for a 100MW BESS in Manawatu.

Meridian is also part of a joint venture with New Zealand Windfarms to repower the Te Rere Hau wind farm, also in Manawatu.

“We’re planning a $3 billion investment through to 2030 and expect to commit $1 billion of capital this year alone,” says Barclay.

“We have built a really strong in-house construction team that’s already capable of delivering two projects at once, so with consents lining up we know we’ve got what it takes to get these projects built and delivering more clean energy for our system and customers across Aotearoa.”

Meridian has awarded construction, operations and maintenance contracts to Ethical Power, with first generation expected in late 2026 and full generation in early 2027.

Ethical Power specialises in solar and battery energy storage systems, delivering renewable energy projects in the United Kingdom, and it has a growing presence in Spain, Italy, and New Zealand.