Central Hawke’s Bay Solar Farm

Central Hawke’s Bay Solar Farm

Central Hawke’s Bay, North Island

Located on the Ruataniwha Plains near Ongaonga, the Central Hawke’s Bay Solar Farm is Lodestone’s latest renewable energy development in partnership with local lines company Centralines. Construction is set to begin in Spring 2026, with first generation planned for March 2027.

The farm is developed across 34 hectares of land previously used for dry stock grazing for beef and lamb. Once completed, the farm will continue to be used for sheep grazing, enabling traditional agricultural activities to continue alongside electricity generation.

The solar farm has a capacity of 31.5 megawatt peak and is expected to generate approximately 49 GWh of clean electricity annually. The farm comprises 49,168 solar panels, new string inverter technology and 4 smart transformer stations, connecting into the Centralines network.

The Central Hawke’s Bay solar farm is a 50/50 partnership between Lodestone and Centralines, bringing together local knowledge, connectivity and solar development expertise.

The farm will deliver clean energy to the region for decades to come, reducing its reliance on distant energy sources while increasing local resilience.