76 | Significant milestone in renewable energy Solmech NZ T T Karen Phelps CONTRACTING A new player in New Zealand’s renewable energy sector has successfully completed its first solar farm project in Pukenui, helping to bring both clean energy and employment opportunities to the Far North region. Solmech NZ, part of the international Solmech group with operations in Europe and Australia, has partnered with Far North Solar Farms and Photon Energy to construct one of New Zealand’s first approved solar farms. The 20-megawatt facility features both north-facing fixed tilt and east-west fixed tilt systems. “Getting the right skillset of people including utilising the local community and training them up has been crucial to the success of this project,” says Rajiv Reddy, general manager of Solmech NZ. Around 80% of its workforce on the project was sourced locally and Rajiv is proud that these workers have received comprehensive training in solar farm construction, providing them with valuable skills for future renewable energy projects. “Some are already working on other projects so the training and skills learned have been a real benefit to the local community,” he says. The Pukenui project has not been without its challenges, particularly due to the region’s unique geological features. “The land has a lot of hard pan material. We used the expertise of local civil contractors Pukenui Excavators and the solution was to pre-drill up to a metre then drive the piles from there,” explains Rajiv. “They will be our civil partners moving forward as we do other solar farm projects around New Zealand.” Founded approximately seven years ago, Solmech has rapidly established itself as an industry leader in consulting and utility infrastructure support services across Australia, New Zealand and Europe. It specialises in providing comprehensive solar farm construction services including piling, mechanical construction, electrical services and civil construction specific to the renewable sector. With its team having collectively delivered more than 400MW of large and small-scale solar installations, Solmech maintains a longterm commitment to its projects by providing operational and maintenance services, ensuring 24/7 real-time facility management and monitoring. “We have some really smart people in the office, and in the field turning complex problems into real solutions, every day,” says Rajiv. Solmech’s range of services across the utility sector also includes electrical and civil construction solutions, from low voltage to grid works. The company can provide specialist services to the water and gas utility sectors, offering complete end-to-end solutions for asset maintenance. Rajiv says that safety remains a top priority for the organisation. It invests heavily in ensuring its staff maintain proper certification, competence and skills necessary for safe project execution. This commitment to safety, combined with its focus on innovation and customer service, has helped Solmech become a partner of choice for global utilities across Australia and New Zealand. Rajiv says the success of the Pukenui project represents a significant milestone for both Solmech and New Zealand’s renewable energy sector and it is already working on a number of other projects which are in the pipeline. The 20-megawatt facility features both north-facing fixed tilt and east-west fixed tilt systems. PUKENUI EXCAVATORS PROUDLY SUPPORTING SOLMECH NZ Civil Excavation & Construction House Sites & Septic General Drainage & Contouring Wharf & Boatramp Construction Salvage 0272745409 | 0276517048 Contact Us Solar Farm Build, Labour Solutions Recruitment, Wilding Pine Control, Fencing, Spraying, Chainsaw Operations, Tree Felling, Commercial Falling, Contract Falling, Contract Logging planting, Pest Control, Mowing and Lawn maintenance SIMON JOB Simon: 027 498 0065 Dan: 027 498 0063 Email: sjsusecoworx@mail.com Far North Northland
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