What:       Installation of a 5ha Solar Farm
Where: Seaview Road
Stage: In Planning and development

Energy Marlborough Limited (EML), has secured agreements and resource consent for the development of a 5ha solar farm adjacent to the Yealands winery. Design studies and tendering of the project are underway as EML works towards a final investment decision on this project.

The site is relatively flat and located adjacent to MLL’s 11kV network and existing electricity load supplying viticultural activities. Yealands winery currently has a 412kW, 1,314 panel solar system installed on its rooftop, which until recent years was the largest system in New Zealand.

This project continues to build on the foundation provided by earlier sites, and to generate electricity at a considerable scale in the Marlborough region. The site is expected to connect to the 11KV electricity network with 4.5MW of capacity, generating 7.3GWh annually, equating to 2% of the region’s current annual energy demand. This reduces energy transmitted to Marlborough from South Canterbury and losses incurred during the transportation.