Renewables developer Lodestone Energy is to construct a 220 MW photo voltaic farm on considered one of New Zealand’s iconic high-country grazing properties, with landowners concentrating on the PV facility to assist rehabilitate surplus land .
From pv journal Australia
Lodestone Energy will companion with the house owners of Haldon Station positioned in New Zealand to construct and function a 220 MW photo voltaic farm.
The Haldon Station photo voltaic farm will likely be constructed on a 340 hectare web site that landowners say has suffered important wind erosion as a consequence of drought and pest infiltration with venture companions assured that the -installation of photo voltaic will present important ecological restoration.
Haldon Station Farm Manager Paddy Boyd mentioned the house owners had spent a number of years investigating choices for the usage of this unproductive space together with methods to scale back the station’s internet emissions.
“We consider, from analysis and statement of different well-planned property developments, that the partial shade and shelter from the panels will end in a helpful impact on the soils under and outcome within the regrowth of authentic native animals and vegetation,” he mentioned.
“The station plans for the realm to be fenced with rabbit netting and to be utterly destocked to permit for a full alternative with pure grasses.”
The advantages of agrivoltaics proceed to draw proof in assist of latest analysis that exhibits a serious profit is the micro-climate created below the photo voltaic arrays that gives higher grass and forage manufacturing.
Construction of the Haldon Station photo voltaic farm is deliberate to start in 2025. The facility is predicted to generate 340 GWh of unpolluted vitality yearly, which is sufficient to energy almost 50,000 houses.
The 220 MW venture is Lodestone’s largest so far and can proceed its growth into the South Island because it continues to construct its PV portfolio.
“There is rising demand from business clients for 100% renewable vitality, serving to the nation transfer in the direction of a zero-carbon future,” mentioned Lodestone Managing Director Gary Holden. “By diversifying our manufacturing and increasing within the South Island, we’re serving to to satisfy the wants of our clients, offering them with an alternate electrical energy possibility and taking part in an necessary function in reaching zero carbon targets .In addition, we are able to assist Haldon Station to realize its targets via restoration assist.”
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Haldon Station is the fourth photo voltaic farm to be constructed within the South Island with Lodestone earlier this 12 months saying websites for the 24 MW Clandeboye, 15 MW Mount Somers, and 72 MW Dunsandel photo voltaic farms.
The firm already operates two producing photo voltaic farms within the North Island, together with the 33 MW Kohirā photo voltaic farm close to Kaitaia within the far north, and the 32 MW Rangitaiki at Edgecombe within the Bay of Plenty.
Lodestone has three extra North Island tasks at the moment deliberate or below building. The 42 MW Te Herenga o Te Rā photo voltaic farm close to Waiotahe within the Bay of Plenty is about to return on-line later this 12 months and Lodestone can also be creating a 32 MW photo voltaic farm close to Whitianga and one other 52 MW venture in Dargaville, each in Northland.
Lodestone says every of those photo voltaic farms is designed to permit inventory grazing and horticulture to proceed round and below the photo voltaic infrastructure, making certain it maximizes New Zealand’s renewable vitality output in most sustainable manner.
The firm says this strategy will enable the land to proceed to be productive, with greater than 85% of the baseline farming yield anticipated when the photo voltaic farms are operational.
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