Helios has confirmed plans to seek resource consent for a 300 megawatt solar farm on the Maniototo Plain.

The group hosted a drop-in session at the Maniototo Golf Club in Ranfurly on October 5 to talk to the community about its plans and progress so far. 

About 35 people attended, including Naseby residents, local farmers, local businesses, technical specialists from Central Otago and neighbouring Queenstown, as well as people in the agriculture industry interested in how solar could be incorporated into farming systems and land uses. 

Helios spokesperson Jonathan Hill said the majority of people who came were supportive of the project, noting local employment potential and the opportunity for farm diversification while enhancing sustainability. 

Questions were asked about how solar works and what it would look like, the proposed site planting plan, whether or not glare would be an issue and water use.

Following the drop-in session, Helios will work with technical specialists to incorporate feedback provided at the event and in follow up conversations.

The next milestone will be submitting the resource consent application. 

The Kiwi solar developer has a development pipeline of about one gigawatt (1GW) across the country, representing about $1.5 billion of capital investment.

Helios managing director Jeff Schlichting said the Maniototo Plain has a very high-quality solar resource and the wider region was already a renewable electricity generation hub for the country via its hydro dams and robust electrical transmission infrastructure.

Helios co-founder and managing director Jeff Schlichting. PHOTO: Supplied 

“The planned project will be located on 660 hectares of land owned by two local farming families and will generate enough clean, renewable electricity to power the equivalent of around 70,000 homes annually. 

“We have taken great care to select a site that minimises visual impacts and is on working, modified farmland free from extensive irrigation. 

“Large-scale solar is now the lowest impact and lowest cost form of energy globally. 

“Once developed, the site will be quiet, passive and well screened by existing shelterbelts and topography, as well as extensive new planting on the site boundary. 

“The solar farm will produce no emissions and have no negative impact on soil or water. At the end of the solar farm's operational life it can be rapidly decommissioned, allowing the land to be returned to its previous use,” he said. 

Pictured is an operational Australian solar farm showing how grazing occurs between the panels. The panels are spaced between six to eight metres apart, leaving room for grazing. PHOTO: Supplied

Jeff acknowledged the solar farm represents a new land use for the district, but the solar farm could support the continued sheep grazing under and around the solar panels. 

He said Helios was committed to a transparent consenting process and would engage openly with the local community. 

“This solar project can be developed while still preserving and protecting landscape, ecological and rural amenity values. 

“Responsible grid-scale solar projects like this are essential if we are to meet our national climate change commitments and power New Zealand’s economy.”

There are no plans for another community drop-in, but information is on the Helios’ website project page. People can also email [email protected] with questions. 

Research carried out by Our Land and Water National Science Challenge (OLW) has covered what are often thought of as mutually exclusive activities - solar and farming -  can be integrated successfully and profitably on many farms in New Zealand.

Researchers looked at the integration of agriculture and solar energy production (agrivoltaics) in the farming landscape in Canterbury (on both a dairy and dry stock farms).

Read more on OLW publication: ‘Agrivoltaics: Integrating Solar Energy Generation with Livestock Farming in Canterbury’ here.