Anza Power Acquires Two Solar Farms Totaling 205 MW in New Zealand

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Anza Power is acquiring the 110 MW Karioi and 95 MW Ongaonga solar farms in Aotearoa New Zealand from utility-scale solar developer Helios Energy. The US-headquartered energy developer, backed by I Squared Capital, was established in Australia in January 2026. Both projects are consented, construction-ready, and equipped with battery energy storage system (BESS) generation capacity, and are expected to produce approximately 411,400 MWh of clean electricity annually, equivalent to the electricity needs of 58,000 households.

The Karioi solar farm is located on the North Island, approximately 280 km north of Wellington. Following a two-year planning, design, and stakeholder engagement application process, the project has obtained local council consent. The plant will connect to Transpower's Tangiwai substation, with the site selected for its high solar irradiance and low ambient temperatures. The site will be leased from a local farming family and will maintain agricultural use through continued sheep grazing, with deer also grazed in surrounding paddocks. The project design also preserves natural wetlands and plants new native vegetation along the site boundary.

The 95 MW Ongaonga solar farm is also located on the North Island, approximately 250 km northeast of Wellington, and will connect to Transpower's nearby Waipawa substation. Both projects engaged with mana whenua (the customary authority, power, and ownership of land held by Māori or hapū groups) and other stakeholders throughout their development.

Anza Power Chief Executive Officer Carlo Frigerio said the two projects add 205 MW to Anza's New Zealand project pipeline. These projects include the 42 MWdc Somerton solar farm in Canterbury, where in June 2026 Anza signed its first offtake agreement in New Zealand with Fonterra. In Canterbury, Anza is also advancing the 100 MW Norwood solar farm and the 70 MW Highfield solar farm at Charing Cross, which together add a further 170 MW of solar capacity, with the Highfield site also offering the option to configure BESS. Anza currently holds a portfolio of approximately 1.5 GW of solar PV and 3.5 GWh of battery storage across Australia and New Zealand.

The Helios team has delivered more than 600 MWac of consented development projects across New Zealand's North and South Islands. Helios Energy Managing Director Jeff Schlichting said Anza offers the strongest path to construction and operation for these two projects. Schlichting said that seeing these projects built is a significant milestone for the Helios team, and that Anza is the best custodian to advance them.