Western Bays Solar Farm

Project summary

The project is the construction, operation and maintenance of a solar farm and battery energy storage system occupying approximately 620 hectares (ha), together with a transmission line, substation, grid injection point and ancillary buildings and infrastructure, near Kuratau in the Waikato region, and includes:

• a solar farm with a generation capacity of up to 420 MW, including solar photovoltaic panels, inverters, power conversion and storage blocks incorporating battery energy storage systems (BESS), with an aggregated storage capacity of approximately 250 MW, for the storage and supply of electricity to support grid stability and security of supply and associated electrical infrastructure
• a 33 kilovolt (kV) underground electricity network, and a 33/220 kV onsite substation, together with operational facilities, buildings, perimeter fencing and mitigation planting
• stock grazing beneath the solar panels
• a 220 kV double-circuit transmission line approximately 9.7 km in length, supported by towers up to 60 m high, connecting the solar farm substation to the grid injection point
• a 220 kV grid injection point connecting the project to the National Grid Bunnythorpe-Whakamaru A and B 220 kV transmission lines
• associated construction activities, including earthworks, discharges, vegetation clearance, laydown areas, access works, access tracks, road widening and supporting infrastructure
• groundwater take and use from an existing bore during construction and operation.
  

Project location

The project area comprises approximately 620 hectares across multiple land parcels near Kuratau in the Waikato region, including Māori freehold land associated with the grid injection point and transmission line corridor.

Project referral

The Minister for Infrastructure referred the project to the Fast-track on 3 November 2026. The application was lodged on 20 July 2026.

Notice of decisions on application for referral of the Western Bays Solar Farm project (PDF, 174 KB)