Kapuni - Taranaki

New Zealand’s largest grid-connected solar power plant is up and running at Kapuni in South Taranaki.

The Sunergise Kapuni Solar Power Plant has a capacity of 2.1MW and comprises 5,800 solar photovoltaic panels. The plant began exporting renewable electricity into the local network since the 10th of May and is now fully commissioned. The plant can generate enough renewable electricity to power over 520 New Zealand homes.

“The Sunergise Kapuni Solar Power Plant represents our first ground-mounted solar facility in New Zealand,” says Paul Makumbe, General Manager of Sunergise, a subsidiary of the Todd Corporation.

“The energy landscape in New Zealand is changing with a focus on reducing carbon emissions which will result in a large increase in electricity demand. Solar plants like Kapuni have a critical role to play by increasing electricity supply from a clean and renewable source,” says Paul Makumbe.

Strong partnerships with local hapū Ngāti Manuhiakai and Ngāti Tu, suppliers and contractors were key to the project’s success. More than 40% of the workforce came from referrals from local hapū.

Sunergise is a leading provider of rooftop solar to commercial customers in New Zealand. A related company, Sunergise International, is the leading developer and operator of solar generation in the Pacific Islands and is currently constructing a 6MW grid-connected solar power plant in Tonga. Sunergise has over 20 years of experience in designing and installing solar photovoltaic, battery, hybrid and mini grid systems.