Lauriston Solar Farm
Photovoltaic power station in Canterbruy, New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lauriston Solar Farm is a photovoltaic power station at Lauriston in Canterbury. The farm is owned by a joint venture between Genesis Energy Limited and FRV Australia. The farm covers 93 hectares (230 acres)[2] and generates 47 MW of electricity.[1] It is currently the largest solar farm in New Zealand,[3] though a larger solar plant is under construction near Taupō.[4]
| Lauriston Solar Farm | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Location | Lauriston |
| Coordinates | 43°43′51.56″S 171°47′21.95″E |
| Status | Operating |
| Construction began | April 2024 |
| Commission date | February 2025 |
| Construction cost | NZ$104 million |
| Owner | Genesis Energy Limited |
| Solar farm | |
| Type | Flat-panel PV |
| Site area | 93 ha |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 47 MW AC (63 MW DC) |
| Annual net output | 97 GWh[1] |
The project was originally announced by HES Aotearoa, who obtained resource consent in June 2022.[5] The project was then bought by a joint venture between Genesis Energy and FRV Australia in February 2023.[6] Construction was announced in January 2024, when Genesis signed a ten-year electricity purchase agreement for the farm.[2] A sod-turning ceremony was held in April 2024,[7][8][9] and construction began after that. By November 2024, Genesis Energy said the project was on track and would begin generated power in December 2024.[4] The solar farm reached full capacity in February 2025,[10] and was officially opened in April 2025.[11]
Electricity generated at the solar farm is fed into EA Networks' distribution network at the nearby Lauriston zone substation. In May 2024, Genesis signed a ten year power supply contract with Spark New Zealand to see Spark take all power from the solar farm.[12]
