More solar farms are being planned and built in New Zealand.
A new solar farm in Canterbury has been under construction since April. It is in Lauriston, about 80 kilometres from Christchurch. It is a joint venture between Genesis Energy, an electricity generating and retail company, and Future Renewable Vision Australia, a solar company. It will start generating power by December this year and will be generating at full capacity over the following months. The farm will have 89,000 solar panels and will produce enough electricity to power more than 13,000 homes. The land for the farm is leased from a farmer who will still be able to keep sheep below the solar panels once construction is complete. This improves productivity for the farmer, because he earns extra income from leasing the land. The sheep also keep the grass short between and under the solar panels.
An even larger solar farm is being built near Taupō, by Nova Energy, another electricity generator and retailer. It will be the largest in the country, with approximately 900,000 solar panels which will produce enough electricity to power 100,000 homes. This project will create hundreds of jobs during its construction as well as other jobs later at the solar farm. It will be on land which is currently a dairy farm, but as the solar plant is built, dairy operations will be phased out, and sheep will be introduced instead.
Another solar farm is planned by a developer Far North Solar Farm, near Marton, a town which is about halfway between Palmerston North and Whanganui in the North Island. It will generate enough power for 7,800 homes and will also be on a sheep farm.
If you want to know more about electricity generation in this country, listen to Gas and Electricity in New Zealand.
Vocabulary
solar – relating to the sun
a joint venture – a new business activity by two companies together
a retail company, a retailer – a company which sells goods or services to the public
lease – to let someone use something, especially property or equipment, in exchange for rent or a regular payment
a dairy farm – a farm that produces milk