Hawkes Bay Airport and Centralines have entered into a joint venture agreement to confirm the viability of, and then establish and construct, a solar farm at Hawkes Bay Airport. The Project will be the first large scale solar PV installation located on “airside” land in New Zealand allowing Hawkes Bay Airport to be the first in New Zealand to be powered 100% by solar energy. It will also provide significant renewable energy to export back into the local network and supply other local homes and businesses.
The following outines the Projects’ indicative timeline.
Hawke’s Bay Airport Sustainability Policy approved
October 2019
Airport Carbon Accredition – Level 1 achieved
January 2020
Preliminary investigations
November 2019 – February 2020
Joint venture signed between Hawke’s Bay Airport & Centralines
May 2020
Expressions of Interest for technical partner called for
June 2020
Technical Partner appointed – Vector Powermart
September 2020
Feasibility Study
September – November 2020
Consultation and resource consent process
Late 2020 – mid 2021
Construction
Late 2021
Operation
2022
In a move that further advances its aspiration to be New Zealand’s first carbon neutral airport, Hawke’s Bay Airport has entered into a Joint Venture agreement with Waipukurau based lines company Centralines to explore the potential for a commercial solar farm on-Airport.