Lightsource bp and its joint venture partner Contact Energy have secured a NZ$267 million (US$160 million) financing package for the development of the Kōwhai Park solar farm, a 168MWdc project in Christchurch, New Zealand. The green financing loan has been jointly underwritten by Westpac, Mizuho, China Construction Bank, and Intesa Sanpaolo.
The Kōwhai Park solar farm, featuring approximately 300,000 solar panels, marks the first phase of Christchurch Airport’s renewable energy precinct. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2024, with commercial operations expected by 2026. Once operational, the facility is projected to generate over 275 gigawatt-hours of green electricity annually, enough to power around 36,000 homes.
The project’s construction will be managed by CHINTEC, while Ventia will handle the network connection infrastructure.
In addition to Kōwhai Park, Lightsource bp and Contact Energy are expanding their solar portfolio in New Zealand, including planned solar farms in Glorit and Taranaki.