31 March 2025
Sustainable energy brings local benefits
Sustainability means doing the right thing for our communities, our iwi, hapū and whanau, our people and the environment every day. This project showcases this approach in action.
Te Puna Mauri ō Omaru is Aotearoa New Zealand’s first community-built, owned, and operated solar farm, generating over 10MW. Constructed at Ruawai, Northland, and livened in late 2024, it represents a $25 million investment in our commitment to achieving a sustainable energy future and delivering sustainable outcomes.
Supporting local
Te Puna Mauri ō Omaru goes beyond powering homes and businesses. To construct the farm, we spent $5 million locally on goods and services, boosting the local economy and supporting businesses.
We directly employed over 50 local workers during construction, providing them with practical, on-the-job experience for future careers. One of the labourers started his journey with us on this project and has become a full-time apprentice in our Energy Services business after joining our trade cadets program.
Building the capability of our people to design, build and operate this solar farm means we now have the skills to deliver further renewable energy projects in the future.
Our partnership with hapū
The site, situated in the Kaipara region, holds historical and cultural significance for the local hapū, Te Uri o Hau. Our close partnership ensured that important cultural practices were integrated into the construction of the solar farm from the outset.
To honour the land, the Ruawai site was blessed in December 2023 and given the name ‘Te Puna Mauri ō Omaru’ – ‘the energy source of Omaru’ (safe haven). You can watch the blessing ceremony here.
Long-term benefits for our communities
The community-owned operational model of Te Puna Mauri ō Omaru sees profits distributed locally, providing financial benefits to the community and reinforcing the community’s stake in renewable energy generation.
We have plans to expand the solar farm, to power more homes and businesses sustainably and enhance the benefits of a locally owned and operated sustainable energy asset.
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