Far North Solar Farm

Far North Solar Farm
Company typePrivate
IndustryElectricity generation
Founded2019
Headquarters
New Zealand
Key people
Richard Homewood
John Telfer
Websitefnsf.co.nz

Far North Solar Farm is a New Zealand electricity generation company that specialises in the construction and operation of photovoltaic power stations. The company is Australian-owned. As of December 2025, it operates one solar farm, with one more under construction.

History

In May 2021 the company's announced its first project, the Pukenui.[1] In May 2022 it announced a partnership with Aquila Capital to develop 1 GW of solar generation in New Zealand.[2]

In November 2023 the company announced it would apply for resource consent for a 420MW solar farm in the environmentally sensitive Mackenzie District.[3][4] The project was subsequently scheduled in the controversial Fast-track Approvals Act 2024, creating a faster pathway to obtaining resource consent.[5] The project is controversial, with "potentially catastrophic" effects on endangered birdlife.[6]

The Pukenui solar farm was finally completed in October 2025.[7]

The partnership with Aquila Capital ended in December 2025, with Aquila acquiring all interests in the solar farms developed as part of the partnership, including Pukenui.[8]

Power stations

Proposed / under construction

Name Type Location Projected capacity (MW) Status
Greytown 2 Solar Greytown, Wairarapa 175 Consented[9]
The Point Solar Mackenzie District 420 Proposed
Waipara Solar Waipara, Canterbury 135 Proposed

References

  1. ^ Denise Piper (14 February 2021). "New Zealand's largest solar farm proposed for top of country". Stuff. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  2. ^ "Aquila Capital confirms 1GW solar PV pipeline for New Zealand". PV Magazine. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  3. ^ "A second large solar farm proposed for the Mackenzie Country". Stuff. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  4. ^ "Plan to build New Zealand's largest solar farm in Mackenzie Basin goes for consultation". RNZ. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  5. ^ "Fast-track Approvals Bill includes 10 new solar farms". Farmers Weekly. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  6. ^ Charlie Mitchell (3 August 2024). "Huge new solar farms could have 'potentially catastrophic' impact on world's rarest wading bird". The Press. Retrieved 13 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. ^ Yolisa Tswanya (16 October 2025). "Northland's new Pukenui Solar Farm to power 4000 homes after launch". Northland Age. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  8. ^ "Overseas investment decision for case 202500474 - Aquila Capital SG Holdco Pte. Ltd". Overseas Investment Office. 17 December 2025. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  9. ^ "Environment Court ruling clears way for Greytown solar farm powering 41,000 homes". New Zealand Herald. 31 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.