Lodestone plans 220 MW solar farm

Lodestone Energy, New Zealand’s leading solar generation company, has partnered with Haldon Station in the Mackenzie District to build and operate a 220 MW solar farm. According to the company, the farm will span 340 hectares, only 1.5% of the 22,000-hectare property owned by the Klisser family. This non-productive area has suffered from wind erosion and pest infiltration. The company claims the solar farm, expected to start construction in 2025, will produce 340 GWh annually, enough to power nearly 50,000 homes. The project will also support ecological restoration with rabbit netting and natural grass regeneration. This is the fourth solar farm in Lodestone’s Phase 2 programme, funded by a capital raise led by Forsyth Barr and Barrenjoey.