Ruakākā Energy Park

Ruakākā
CountryNew Zealand
LocationRuakākā
Coordinates35°50′51.74″S 174°28′39.54″E / 35.8477056°S 174.4776500°E / -35.8477056; 174.4776500
StatusProposed
Construction costNZ$227 million[1]
OwnerMeridian Energy
Solar farm
TypeFlat-panel PV
Site area172ha
Power generation
Nameplate capacity130 MWp[1]
Annual net output230 GWh[1]

The Ruakākā Energy Park is a co-located battery energy storage system (BESS) and photovoltaic power station in Ruakākā, Northland, New Zealand. The BESS has an output of 100MW and storage of 200MWh. The solar farm is still under construction. When complete, it will have a peak output of 130 MWp, and generate up to 230 GWh of electricity a year.[1] The facility is owned and operated by Meridian Energy.

BESS

In December 2021, Meridian announced plans for a solar farm and battery energy storage system adjacent to the Marsden Point Oil Refinery.[2] The battery system would be next to the Bream bay substation, and was consented in November 2022.[3] The system comprises 80 containerised Saft battery modules, with a total storage of 200 MWh and an output of 100 MW. Construction began in March 2023,[4] and was completed in May 2025.[5][6]

Solar farm

A solar farm was first proposed at Marsden Point in 2019, when RefiningNZ, owners of the nearby Marsden Point Oil Refinery, proposed a small 26MW farm to reduce the refinery's electricity costs.[7] The project was consented, but put on hold following the shutdown and dismantling of the refinery.[8]

Meridian applied for resource consent for the solar farm in March 2024, covering three sites to the south of the old Refinery site.[9] Consented was granted in September 2024, with conditions requiring wetland restoration to offset the destruction of on-site wetlands.[10] In March 2025 Meridian announced that construction would begin in August 2025, with completion in 2027.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Jamie Gray (25 March 2025). "Meridian pushes go on $227m Ruakākā solar project". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  2. ^ "Meridian Energy to build solar farm next to Marsden Point refinery". RNZ. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  3. ^ "Ruakākā to have country's largest grid-connected battery to help Northland's electricity supply". Northern Advocate. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  4. ^ "Work starts on massive Northland battery farm". Northern Advocate. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  5. ^ "Giant grid-connected battery site set to open at Marsden Point, Northland". RNZ. 23 May 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  6. ^ "Meridian completes NZ's first grid-scale battery, eyes solar expansion". Interest.co.nz. 23 May 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  7. ^ "Marsden Point Oil Refinery explores large-scale solar farm". SEANZ. 8 July 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  8. ^ "Channel Infrastructure wants new power supplier for Marsden Pt site". Northern Advocate. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  9. ^ "Meridian Energy seeks resource consent to build solar farm at Ruakākā, Northland". New Zealand Herald. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  10. ^ "Consent granted for large solar power station at Ruakākā in Northland". RNZ. 30 September 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  11. ^ "Work set to begin on $227 million Northland solar farm". RNZ. 25 March 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2025.


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