Hawke's Bay Airport Solar Farm

Planning renewable energy infrastructure to support the future needs of Hawke’s Bay Airport and our region.
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST NOW OPEN

12-17MW

Proposed generation capacity

24ha

Approximate solar farm area

~25,000

Photovoltaic solar panels

2028

Target date for completion of solar farm construction
ABOUT THE SOLAR FARM

Preparing for an aviation future powered by more electricity.

Hawke’s Bay Airport is planning a 12-17MW solar farm on approximately 24 hectares of airport land northwest of the runways.

The project is intended to establish an important renewable energy foundation as aviation technology changes and electricity demand at the airport increases – projected to be 20 times more than it is today by 2050. It could also support Hawke’s Bay’s transition to a more resilient renewable energy future.

Representative impression of the solar farm, subject to cultural, aeronautical and environmental consents and feasibility.
WHY SOLAR, WHY NOW?

A long-term infrastructure decision

01

Aviation’s energy needs
Future aircraft, ground operations and airport infrastructure are expected to rely more heavily on renewable electricity.

02

Regional resilience

Additional local renewable generation has the potential to contribute to a more resilient regional energy system.

03

Airport diversification

The solar farm plan addresses diversified and productive long-term use of suitable airport land while preserving our core aviation role.

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

We are seeking delivery and co-investment partners

The EOI will help Hawke’s Bay Airport understand market appetite and capability across construction delivery, operations and maintenance, and potential co-investment options.

EOI closes: 5pm, 28 September 2026

EOI OVERVIEW
RESPONSE TEMPLATE
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Several workstreams will progress in parallel.

Over approximately the next 12 months, cultural, commercial, technical, aeronautical, consenting and community engagement workstreams will help inform the preferred project model and any future investment decision.

NOW

EOI for delivery and investment partners

PARALLEL

Environmental consents, aeronautical assessment, network studies and community engagement

THEN

Preferred delivery & ownership model

FUTURE

Investment decision
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Your questions answered.

Has Hawke's Bay Airport decided to build the solar farm?

While no final investment decision has been made, feasibility investigations support progressing to the next phase which is going to market, to test delivery, ownership and investment models.

This is alongside ongoing workstreams which cover off aspects such as cultural, environmental, aeronautical, community and technical work, as well as consenting and approvals.

The solar farm is being developed on an approximate 24ha block of airport land, west of the main runway and north of the cross runway.

The estimated generation capability of the Hawke’s Bay Airport solar farm is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 3,000 Hawke’s Bay households.

Hawke’s Bay Airport has worked constructively with Mana Ahuriri Trust as mana whenua, including the preparation of a Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA) to ensure the project acknowledges the significance of Te Whanganui-a-Orotū and the wider cultural landscape in which the airport is located. The CIA is currently being considered by Mana Ahuriri.

Solar panels are designed to absorb sunlight rather than reflect it. However, because of the solar farm’s location alongside an operational airfield, potential glint and glare has been specifically assessed as part of the project’s aeronautical work.

Environmental effects are an important consideration in the design and consenting of the solar farm. Solar photovoltaic panels are sealed units designed for long-term outdoor use and are not expected to release chemicals into the surrounding soil or water during normal operation.

Infrastructure projects of this nature often go through several iterations as feasibility, commercial viability, technical requirements and business priorities are tested. The airport has determined that developing plans for a smaller, fit-for-purpose solar farm better aligns with our long-term requirements.

Hawke’s Bay Airport is one of New Zealand’s leading airports with our efforts to decarbonise our operations. This has been recognised by our world-class Level 4+ certification in the internationally-recognised Airport Carbon Accreditation programme.

Read about other projects on our Sustainability hub.

We welcome enquiries from any interested parties to solar@hbairport.co.nz

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Opening Hours

Monday to Saturday from 4.45 am

Sunday from 5.45 am

The terminal closes after the last flight of the day.

Terms & conditions of competition

  • For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions, “The Promoter” refers to Hawke’s Bay Airport.
  • By entering the competition, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
  • The Promoter’s competition with entry via Facebook is open only to residents of New Zealand, over 18 years old.
  • No purchase necessary. Winners will not be required to pay to enter the competition.
  • Employees of the Promoter are not eligible to enter.
  • Facebook/Meta are not in any way affiliated or involved in the competition.
  • Each entrant shall enter the competition the Hawke’s Bay Airport Facebook page by adding a photo to the competition post. Private messages will not be accepted as an entry.
  • The Prize will be awarded to a randomly selected winner, using a random number generator. The Promoter will not be held liable if the named prize becomes unavailable or cannot be fulfilled. The winner will be posted to our Facebook page within 3 days of the competition closing date.
  • If the prize winner cannot be contacted within 3 days of the closing date, at promoter’s option the winner may be taken to have forfeited the prize and a substitute winner may be selected.
  • The Promoter will not be held liable for any failure of receipt of entries. The Promoter takes no responsibility for any entries that are lost, delayed, illegible, corrupted, damaged, incomplete or otherwise invalid.
  • To the extent permitted by applicable law, The Promoter shall not be liable under or in connection with these terms and conditions, the competition or any Prize for any indirect, special or consequential cost, expense, loss or damage suffered by a participant even if such cost, expense, loss or damage was reasonably foreseeable or might reasonably have been contemplated by the participant and the promoter and whether arising from breach of contract, tort, negligence, breach of statutory duty or otherwise.
  • Prizes are non-negotiable, non-transferable and non-refundable. No cash alternative is available. Where a Prize becomes unavailable for any reason, the Promoter reserves the right to substitute that prize for a different prize which may not be of equal value.
  • The name, address and phone number of the winner must be provided to the Promoter if requested and will be shared with the donator of the prize to enable fulfilment of the Prize.
  • In the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond the Promoter’s reasonable control, the Promoter reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the competition or these terms and conditions, either in whole or in part, with or without notice.
  • The Promoter’s decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.
  • The winner’s name and social media username may be posted on the social media profiles of the Promotor after the winner has been selected.