A New Zealand solar developer has unveiled plans to build a $400million solar farm — consisting of 500,000 individual panels — on the outskirts of Naseby, capable of powering 70,000 homes.
Helios Energy announced plans for its solar farm yesterday, in advance of a community drop-in session due to take place on October 5.
The proposed 300MW solar farm would be built on 660ha of land off Ranfurly-Naseby Rd, leased from two local farming families.
When tilted flat, the panels would cover 35% of the total site. Gaps between each array of panels would run between 6m and 8m, allowing the land to be simultaneously used for sheep grazing.
A Helios Energy spokesman said yesterday’s announcement was "just the start" of the consultation process, and the company had not yet sought resource consent.
Helios managing director Jeff Schlichting said the company was "very excited" about the potential of what would be the company’s first project in the South Island.
"We think it’s a very well-situated project," he said.
"We’ve done a fair bit of research in terms of the connection, the opportunity to get power to market and we think it’s going to play a vital role not only in our portfolio but in Aotearoa New Zealand’s portfolio in the long run."
Founded in 2020, Helios is a New Zealand-based company boasting "renewable energy specialists" with experience in delivering over 50 large-scale solar projects across the globe.
Its website lists four solar farms in the planning stages, which include projects in the Bay of Plenty, Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay.
Mr Schlichting said the Ranfurly-Naseby Rd project represented a small but not insignificant step in helping the country reach its energy targets in the coming decades.
"We essentially need to be building the equivalent of the Clyde Dam every year from now until 2050. Even a solar project of this size is not equivalent to a Clyde Dam. So it’s a piece of the broader puzzle."
Central Otago district councillor Stuart Duncan said there had been "quite a lot" of interest in solar farm construction in the region recently, and expressed his hope the local community would be involved in the consultation process.
Helios will host a drop-in session at the Maniototo Golf Club from 3pm-7pm on October 5.
