en.Wedoany.com Reported - Clean energy platform Aquila Clean Energy APAC announced that its 38MW Omeheu solar photovoltaic power plant in Edgecumbe, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, has been energized and has begun supplying electricity to the national grid.
The facility is expected to generate approximately 49.7GWh of renewable energy annually. The project was delivered by Greek energy company Metlen Energy and Metals as the main contractor, working alongside civil, mechanical, and electrical teams. This energization marks a key step towards the project's full commercial operation.
This plant is the second solar asset operated by Aquila Clean Energy in New Zealand. Previously, the 20.8MWp Pukenui solar photovoltaic plant in Northland was commissioned in October 2025. After ending a joint venture with Auckland-based renewable energy developer Far North Solar Farm, Singapore-headquartered Aquila Clean Energy exclusively owned both projects in January 2026, which were initially developed through that joint venture.
Aquila Clean Energy is part of Aquila Group, an asset development and alternative investment company headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, and has a portfolio of 1.6GW across development, construction, and operational projects in the Asia-Pacific region.
New Zealand's utility-scale solar project pipeline is advancing simultaneously across multiple developers. Harmony Energy New Zealand and Igneo Infrastructure Partners earlier this month energized the 202MWp Tauhei solar plant near Te Aroha in the Waikato region, currently the country's largest solar installation. After a testing and commissioning period, its full commercial operation is targeted for September to October 2026. The entire output for the first 10 years of operation has been contracted to electricity retailer Meridian Energy under a power purchase agreement.
On a smaller scale, Lodestone Energy and local lines company Centralines began construction this month on the 31.5MWp Central Hawke's Bay solar photovoltaic plant in Ongaonga. The project, structured as a 50:50 joint venture, aims to be operational by autumn 2027. The plant will use 49,000 high-efficiency 640W modules from Trina Solar and will connect directly to Centralines' distribution network to increase local generation in a region historically reliant on long-distance power from the national grid.
Larger-scale financing activities are also progressing. In June 2026, Lightsource bp and Contact Energy reached financial close on the 171MWdc Glorit solar photovoltaic plant north of Auckland. The project, developed through a 50:50 joint venture, is about to begin construction, with commercial operation targeted for the second half of 2028. Contact Energy documents state the project is expected to cost NZ$305 million (US$179 million), with over 70% financing.
As of the end of January 2026, New Zealand had 247MW of grid-connected solar photovoltaic capacity in operation, a figure steadily rising as projects currently being commissioned and constructed reach their operational dates. Aquila Clean Energy's broader portfolio in New Zealand also includes three solar photovoltaic projects in late-stage development: the 40.6MWp Marton solar plant, the 39.4MWp Foxton solar plant, and the 42MWp Waiotahe solar plant, as well as onshore wind and battery storage assets within a 580MW project pipeline nationwide.
