New Zealand power retailer Contact Energy has marked a major construction milestone by finishing full solar module installation at the Kōwhai Park solar PV facility located at Christchurch Airport.
Developed as a joint venture between Lightsource bp and Contact Energy, the project spans 230 hectares within the airport grounds. It holds a DC capacity of 168MW and an AC output of 150MW. CHINTEC delivered the full EPC works, while Ventia took charge of supporting infrastructure services.
Annual renewable power output from the solar plant is projected to exceed 275GWh, with the asset set to link into Orion New Zealand’s 66kV local power grid.
Construction broke ground in late 2024, and the project achieved its Golden Row milestone in August 2025 upon finishing and signing off the first complete panel row, verifying construction workflows to speed up mass installation across the site. Now that all solar modules are mounted, the project enters final commissioning, preparing for full commercial operation.
Kōwhai Park is the debut solar asset under the Lightsource bp-Contact Energy partnership, with both firms confirming more utility-scale solar schemes are planned across New Zealand.
The milestone comes amid Contact Energy’s push to grow its renewable pipeline under the Contact31+ strategy unveiled in February 2026. The firm completed a NZ$525 million equity fundraising package the same month, including a NZ$450 million institutional placement and a NZ$75 million retail offer. The NZ$316 million capital raise backs multiple clean energy assets: a 200MW battery energy storage system (BESS), pre-final investment drilling for the Tauhara 2 geothermal expansion, and the 150MWac Glorit solar farm on Kaipara Coast. The Glorit project, also co-developed with Lightsource bp at an estimated NZ$305 million, targets commissioning in Q3 2028.
Parallel to solar construction, Contact Energy boosted its grid-scale storage portfolio by commissioning a 200MWh battery facility nationwide in April 2026, delivering flexible balancing capacity for its expanding renewable generation fleet.
Kōwhai Park’s progress reflects a rapid transformation of New Zealand’s solar industry. Before 2022, the country had almost no large-scale grid-connected solar capacity. Reliance on hydropower long muted demand for new solar buildouts, yet consecutive dry seasons – notably the 2024 drought that sent wholesale power prices soaring – have highlighted the need for diversified power sources. Low water levels, depleted hydro reservoirs and natural gas supply crunches triggered extreme electricity cost hikes in 2024, accelerating national solar development plans.
