Lodestone Energy’s Kaitaia Solar Farm represents a landmark achievement in New Zealand’s renewable energy sector. The collaborative approach of all stakeholders resulted in the successful commissioning and operation of the first utility-scale solar farm in New Zealand.
To increase Northland’s capacity and support a growing economy, Lodestone Energy (Lodestone) developed a 23.7 MW AC (33 MW DC) solar farm in the Kaitaia region. The farm is connected to Top Energy’s Kaitaia Zone Substation via a new 33 kV line.
Integrating a new, large-scale solar generation asset into the existing grid infrastructure was a key project challenge. Lodestone’s EPC partner, Infratec, engaged Edison to provide site representative and commissioning engineering support to ensure safe commissioning for both the AC and DC electrical works.
SOLUTION
Edison was instrumental in ensuring the smooth execution of the commissioning process. Our team provided a dedicated Site Representative and Commissioning Engineer to engage with Transpower’s System Operator (SO) and Top Energy to ensure compliance with the Electricity Industry Participation Code during commissioning and connection.
Taking a responsive and agile approach, the team performed the following roles:
- Documentation and Compliance: Facilitated the preparation and submission of all necessary commissioning documentation, including the Transpower Synchronising Commissioning Plan, Secondary Risk Register, Engineering Methodology, and various Test Plans.
- Stakeholder Coordination: Active coordination between the Transpower SO, Top Energy, and other involved parties. This included managing communications, aligning expectations, and ensuring all parties were informed and prepared throughout the commissioning stages.
- Quality Assurance and Readiness: Applied rigorous quality assurance processes to all commissioning activities. Prepared, coordinated, signed off, and communicated "ready for livening" notices, ensuring a smooth transition to operational status.
- Real-Time Problem Solving: The project’s complex nature required the team to mitigate real-time challenges with innovative solutions, effectively leveraging on-site resources.
KEY RESULTS
- Successful commissioning of the first utility-scale solar project in New Zealand.
- Increased renewable energy capacity to support Northland’s economic development.
- Development of a new Solar Synchronising Commissioning Plan template for Transpower that can be applied to other solar generation asset connection projects.
- Knowledge transfer of project learnings to concurrent engagements with Infratec and Lodestone’s next utility-scale solar farm project at Edgecumbe.
- The project was nominated for the Energy Project of the Year at the 2024 Energy Excellence Awards.
Image Credit: Lodestone Energy Ltd
