| Work Detail |
Ethical Power New Zealand signs its first solar EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract with a leading power company Meridian Energy, for the delivery of 130MWac Ruakaka Solar Park. The contract was exchanged on 25th March 2025. Early works are expected to start in the coming weeks, with first generation expected in late 2026 and full generation in early 2027. The Ruakaka Solar Farm is the second element of the Ruakaka Energy Park which combines a 100MW battery energy storage system (BESS), currently under construction, and the 130MWac solar site to be built by Ethical Power. The site is located near Marsden Point and Whangarei, in Northland. The new solar park, first in Meridian’s portfolio, will cover almost 170ha and incorporate up to 250,000 fixed-frame solar panels. As the principal EPC contractor, Ethical Power will be responsible for detailed design engineering and optimisation of the project, as well as the procurement of modules and the full-wrap construction, involving extensive civils works, cabling, panel mounting and commissioning of the site. Meridian has also awarded Ethical Power the operations & maintenance contract for the project. Matt Rowe, Managing Director for Ethical Power New Zealand, comments: “This is a significant milestone for Ethical Power New Zealand and further strengthens our position in the New Zealand market with a high-profile client. Meridian has been a great partner throughout this process, and we look forward to building a strong, long-term relationship with them.” This is Ethical Power’s first solar EPC contract in New Zealand, but the Group’s operations in New Zealand also included successful development and sale of a number of utility-scale solar projects and a remote performance monitoring contract delivered via its UK control room. For Meridian Energy, this is their first solar project and is part of the company’s ambition to deliver a 5.8 GW pipeline of renewable energy infrastructure projects spanning wind, solar, and battery technologies. |
