Kōwhai Park Solar Farm
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| Kōwhai Park Solar Farm | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Location | Christchurch Airport |
| Coordinates | 43°29′45″S 172°30′38″E / 43.49583°S 172.51056°E |
| Status | Under construction |
| Construction began | August 2024 |
| Construction cost | NZ$300 million |
| Owner | Contact Energy |
| Solar farm | |
| Type | Flat-panel PV |
| Site area | 300 ha |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 150 MW (168 MWp)[1] |
| Annual net output | 290 GWh[2] |
The Kōwhai Park Solar Farm is a photovoltaic power station under construction at Christchurch Airport in Canterbury, New Zealand. The farm will be owned by a joint venture between Contact Energy and Lightsource BP.[3] When complete the farm will cover 300 hectares[4] and generate 150 MW of electricity.[5]
The project was first announced in December 2021.[6][7] In February 2023 Christchurch airport announced Contact Energy and Lightsource as its partners to develop and operate the solar farm.[8] Finance was agreed in August 2024,[3] and construction began the same month.[4] The first row of panels was installed in August 2025.[9] The solar farm is expected to be operational by mid 2026.[10]
