• The 52MW development is the first project of the Joint Venture that will deliver up to 500MW of solar capacity over the next five years.
  • Expected to be operational in 2024, the Lauriston solar site is among the most advanced large-scale solar sites in the country.

New Zealand, Christchurch: Fotowatio Renewable Ventures Australia, a leading developer of sustainable energy solutions, and part of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy and OMERS, has further expanded its activities in New Zealand by acquiring a large scale solar site near Lauriston on the Canterbury Plains.  The acquisition was made possible due to FRV Australia’s joint venture (JV) agreement with Genesis Energy, a New Zealand publicly listed electricity generation company, and the largest electricity and natural gas retailer in the country.

FRV Australia and Genesis Energy formed a JV in late 2021 to develop up to 500MW of solar capacity over the next five years in New Zealand. This is expected to generate about 750GWh pa, which is enough to power 100,000 households or 185,000 EVs per year.

Located one hour’s drive from Christchurch, Lauriston Solar Farm is a planned 52MW project located on a 93-hectare site. Once operational, it will power the equivalent of 9,800 houses. It is expected to create more than 50 jobs during the construction phase.

Fady Jameel, Deputy President and Vice Chairman of Abdul Latif Jameel, said: “The joint venture with Genesis Energy is further evidence of our commitment to entering new markets, while supporting sustainable infrastructure development to provide clean energy to thousands of homes and businesses. On top of this, our acquisition of Lauriston, one of the most advanced solar sites in the country, represents an important milestone in the realization of our vision to develop up to 500MW of solar capacity over the next five years in New Zealand.”

FRV Australia CEO, Carlo Frigerio, said that the site ticked a lot of boxes and will be up and running quickly. “FRV Australia and Genesis have worked together during the past year and developed a very promising pipeline of solar projects expected to be delivered in the coming years. Lauriston solar farm is posed to be the first large scale solar farm reaching operational stage in the country”.

FRV’s regional expansion further strengthens and deepens Abdul Latif Jameel Energy’s expertise in the solar energy market, building on its already strong pipeline of green energy assets across the globe. It also consolidates OMERS Infrastructure’s leading position in infrastructure and renewable investments across different regions. 

Construction is expected to begin later this year and the development aims to be fully operational by 2024.

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About Abdul Latif Jameel Energy

Abdul Latif Jameel Energy was established in 2012, and is now a leading independent power producer, and a premier service provider in the renewable energy sector, with interests in 16 countries around the world with capabilities in renewable energy, including solar PV, wind, waste-to-energy and environmental solutions, including desalination, water and wastewater treatment. For more information, please visit: alj.com/energy

About FRV   

FRV, part of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, is a leading global renewable energy development company. In line with our ambition to continue leading the global transition to a more sustainable energy future, FRV has evolved from being just a developer to becoming an independent power producer.   

We aim to be the world's leading green energy and infrastructure platform.  To achieve this strategic vision, we have accelerated our growth through the return on our activities, shareholder contributions and asset rotation through the sale of minority stakes.  As a result, the company expects to invest more than US$ 1.5 billion with the goal of doubling total installed capacity from 2 GW in 2021 to 4 GW in 2024.  For more information, please visit: frv.com   

About FRV Australia

FRV Australia is one of the largest solar developers, asset owners and renewable energy platforms in Australia. It’s also one of the first solar developers to enter the Australian market and the first company to deliver a project-financed, large-scale solar farm in Australia, with the Royalla Solar Farm near Canberra operating since August 2014. The company has connected or is building over 1GWdc of Australian photovoltaic (PV) assets across different projects including nine int he portfolio for a total project investment value well of over $1 billion dollars. Its activities are based in Sydney and the company has a multidisciplinary team of over 50 employees.

With an ambition to continue leading the global transition to a more sustainable energy future, FRV Australia has evolved from being just a developer to becoming an independent power producer. The company is owned by Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, a world leader in the development of sustainable energy solutions (51 per cent) and OMERS, one of Canada's largest defined benefit pension plans (49 per cent). The OMERS stake is managed by OMERS Infrastructure, a global leader in infrastructure investing. For more information, visit frv.com and wallawallasolarfarm.com.au.

About OMERS Infrastructure

OMERS Infrastructure manages investments globally in infrastructure on behalf of OMERS, a defined benefit pension plan for municipal employees in the Province of Ontario, Canada, and third-party investors through its Strategic Partnership Program. OMERS Infrastructure currently has approximately C$32 billion in assets under management and over 30 investments in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific across sectors including energy, digital services, transportation and government-regulated services. OMERS Infrastructure has employees in Toronto, New York, the UK, Continental Europe (including Amsterdam, NL), Asia and Australia. For more information, visit omersinfrastructure.com.

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The term "Abdul Latif Jameel" refers generally to several distinct, independent and autonomous legal entities.  Abdul Latif Jameel is not, in and of itself, a corporate entity, partnership or conglomerate headed by a parent company, but simply refers to a group of distinct and completely independent legal entities that together are referred to as "Abdul Latif Jameel". Abdul Latif Jameel is not a corporate group as defined in section 1161(5) of the Companies Act 2006.

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