Māori iwi tribe Ngati Awa gifted the solar PV plant its name as part of the project’s engagement with the local people.

The plant is the second operational solar asset for Aquila Clean Energy in New Zealand, following the 20.8MWp Pukenui solar PV plant in Northland, which was commissioned in October 2025.

Aquila Clean Energy, a Singapore-headquartered clean energy developer and independent power producer, took sole ownership of both projects in January 2026 after concluding a joint venture with Auckland-based renewable energy developer Far North Solar Farm, through which the projects were originally developed.

The company is part of Aquila Group, an asset development and alternative investment company headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, and holds a 1.6GW portfolio of projects across development, construction and operations in the Asia Pacific region.

The Omeheu energisation arrives as New Zealand’s utility-scale solar pipeline advances across several developers simultaneously.

Harmony Energy New Zealand and Igneo Infrastructure Partners energised the 202MWp Tauhei Solar Farm near Te Aroha in the Waikato region earlier this month, now the country’s largest solar installation, with full commercial operations targeted for September to October 2026 following a testing and commissioning period.

All output from the first 10 years of operation has been contracted to gentailer Meridian Energy under a power purchase agreement.

At the smaller end of the scale, Lodestone Energy and local lines company Centralines broke ground on the 31.5MWp Central Hawke’s Bay solar PV plant in Ongaonga this month, structured as a 50:50 joint venture and targeting operations by autumn 2027.

The plant will feature 49,000 high-efficiency 640W modules from Trina Solar and will connect directly to Centralines’ distribution network, increasing locally produced generation for a region that has historically relied on power from distant parts of the national grid.

Larger-scale financing activity has also been advancing. In June 2026, Lightsource bp and Contact Energy reached financial close on the 171MWdc Glorit solar PV plant north of Auckland, developed through a 50:50 joint venture, with construction set to begin imminently and commercial operations targeted for the second half of 2028.

Contact Energy’s documentation described the project as expected to cost NZ$305 million (US$179 million), with the plant to be more than 70% project-financed.

As of the end of January 2026, New Zealand had 247MW of grid-connected solar PV plants in operation, a figure that is rising steadily as projects now in commissioning and construction reach operational dates.

Aquila Clean Energy’s wider New Zealand portfolio extends beyond its two mentioned projects.

The company holds three further solar PV developments at late-stage development, including the 40.6MWp Marton Solar Farm, the 39.4MWp Foxton Solar Farm and the 42MWp Waiotahe Solar Farm, alongside onshore wind and battery storage assets within a 580MW pipeline across the country.