UK-based renewable energy company Harmony Energy has received permission from the New Zealand Environmental Protection Agency to build the country's largest solar farm. The proposed 147MW solar facility is planned for the Waikato region on 260 hectares and 182 hectares in Te Aroha West, 140km south of Auckland.

Harmony Energy Director Pete Grogan said: 'We are delighted that this important renewable energy development can now continue. Renewable energy is critical to mitigating the negative impacts of climate change and helping support New Zealand's net zero target. One of the great advantages of solar energy is that it can accommodate dual use of the land, allowing energy to be produced while sustaining agricultural production, as in Tauhei.

Grogan added that the proposal creates opportunities for local businesses and jobs, as well as significant biodiversity gains. We will deliver extraordinary projects that Waikato is proud of. Following approval, it was noted that we were applauded for the careful approach we took in conceiving the proposal the way we had it - to create a project that would deliver such significant benefits with relatively few adverse impacts. This reflects the design of the solar farm to include ecological restoration of large swaths of wetlands, including a boardwalk for scheduled educational tours. Keywords: engineering news, overseas news

In addition to the solar farm, Harmony Energy has a pipeline of projects in New Zealand with a capacity of over 500MW. In the UK, the country is developing a battery storage facility near Cottingham in East Yorkshire.Editor/XingWentao