Lodestone Energy, a New Zealand based solar generator-retailer, has begun power generation at its fourth solar farm on the Coromandel Peninsula. The Pāmu Rā ki Whitianga site, a 33 MW peak installation, became the region’s first utility-scale solar farm. The farm is designed to produce about 49 GWh annually using 53,400 panels under an agrivoltaics model that supported sheep grazing. The construction started in late 2024, created local employment and included plans for 9,300 native plantings. Summer generation aligned with seasonal demand increases. Powerco completed a switching station to connect the farm and support regional supply needs with future expansion capacity. Lodestone’s solar-backed retail offer increased access to renewable electricity, and the company stated it would bring 230 GWh of new generation to market by year-end. The project was the fourth delivered with Infratec and New Energy, with installation efficiency improvements reported, and additional South Island sites progressing.
Lodestone Energy began power generation at the first utility 33 MW Whitianga farm
The Whitianga solar farm by Lodestone Energy with Powerco, Infratec and New Energy increased generation, enabled grid export and supported project development across regions.
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