Bunnythorpe Energy Park is a planned development north of Palmerston North that will combine a battery energy storage system (BESS) and a 120-megawatt solar farm.
We’ve received consent to build the Bunnythorpe Energy Park and we’re now working through detailed design of the project.
Energy parks are a new and innovative way of generating and storing energy and will play an increasingly important role as New Zealand grows the amount of electricity generated from wind and sun.
The 280ha site is between Ashhurst and Stoney Creek Roads, and adjacent to Transpower’s Bunnythorpe Substation.
With around 250,000 solar panels, the planned solar farm will produce up to about 225GWh of electricity per year – enough to power around 30,000 average homes.
The battery energy storage system (BESS) will be similar to our Ruakākā BESS in Northland. It will store electricity from the national grid and then release it into the system when it's needed most, helping smooth out demand. Our Ruakākā BESS was completed in early 2025 and is already having an impact on wholesale power prices.
Meridian's Ruakākā Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
The next stage of the project is the detailed design and business case development process, after which the Meridian Board can make a final decision to proceed.
If the project goes ahead, we expect it to generate in excess of 100 local jobs and up to $50m of local spend during construction. Around six to eight permanent roles are likely to be created.
Once the energy park is operational, the local community will have access to Meridian’s Power Up fund, which supports local projects in the areas near our assets. It’s one way we recognise the importance of local communities.
If you have questions about the project, contact us at renewables@meridianenergy.co.nz
We’ll also hold a drop-in session in Bunnythorpe in the coming months to share further detail with the community and answer questions.
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