Solar panel farm planned for west coast land at Glorit

A major solar panel farm that could supply enough energy for 33,000 homes is being proposed for land west of SH16 in Glorit. Global solar developer Lightsource bp and Contact Energy want to build a 150 megawatt facility on a 220-hectare site off Omaumau Road. They say construction could create 200 jobs.

A spokesperson for Lightsource bp said the site on the Kaipara coast was being pursued because it would allow easy connection to Transpower’s existing 220kV powerlines, which pass through the area, and there was good sunlight and irradiance in the area. If it goes ahead, the Glorit project will be one of several being planned by Lightsource bp and Contact Energy following their announcement of a joint venture last April, with the initial aim of creating enough clean and affordable energy to power 50,000 homes by 2026.

Neighbouring landowners and residents living next to the project site are currently being contacted and consulted and a community drop-in information session is being planned.

As well as the 150 megawatt photovoltaic solar panel farm itself, associated infrastructure and equipment to enable connection to the Transpower network would be required. There is also potential for co-located battery storage on site.

Lightsource bp said it would be looking to utilise local companies and services in the first instance throughout the construction of the solar farm, which would have an operational life of at least 35 years.

The spokesperson stressed that it was very early days for the proposed project, as did a spokesperson for Auckland Council.

“As this is currently in the pre-application stage, there are no details that we can share at this time,” she said.

Former dairy farmer Malcolm Webster knows the region well, having owned and run a 700-cow unit just north of Glorit for more than 30 years.

He said it would make sense to put a solar farm in the area, but he added that any developer would need to take a couple of potential hazards into account.

“On a big king tide with a strong westerly blowing, the water nearly goes over stock banks, so it can be pretty vulnerable,” he said. “It would be pretty serious if you’d got millions of dollars of solar panels and they got flooded.” Webster added that corrosive salt air blowing in off the Kaipara could also be an issue.

Resource consent is currently being sought for a separate 100-hectare solar farm further down the coast at Helensville by another company, HES Aotearoa, an NZowned joint venture.