Lightsource bp breaks ground on huge solar farm at New Zealand airport

Lightsource bp has held a sod-turning event at the site of the future 170-MWdc Kowhai Park solar farm in Christchurch, New Zealand, the developer announced this week.

The event took place on August 27 after earlier in the month it was unveiled that the project had obtained the necessary financing to advance.

Kowhai Park is now being built adjacent to Christchurch Airport, on land owned by both Christchurch International Airport Limited (CIAL) and Environment Canterbury. The project is a partnership between Lightsource bp and utility Contact Energy Limited (NZE:CEN). The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the project is Chintec.

With around 300,000 panels spanning 230 hectares, the solar farm will be the same size as about 220 rugby fields.

According to Lightsource bp’s website, Kowhai Park will have the capacity to produce 290,000 MWh of electricity a year, which would be enough to power some 36,000 homes.

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