Meridian Energy Gets Green Light for Morrinsville Solar Farm

Meridian Energy has received approval to develop a 110MW solar photovoltaic facility near Morrinsville in New Zealand's Waikato region. The project, called the Morrinsville Solar Farm, will cover an area of approximately 134 hectares and feature around 230,000 solar panels. This is expected to generate up to 200GWh of electricity annually.

The construction phase of the project is anticipated to support over 100 local jobs and inject NZ$50 million (approximately US$29 million) into the local economy. Meridian's chief executive, Mike Roan, described the approval as a 'constructive milestone' for the company's projects and the energy sector as a whole.

This development is part of Meridian's expanding solar portfolio, which also includes the Ruakaka Energy Park near Whangarei in Northland. The Morrinsville Solar Farm remains contingent on a final investment decision from Meridian's board, with no timeline for that decision announced yet.