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Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger wants to turn some of the city’s biggest power users into their own electricity generators, with a giant solar project at the wastewater treatment plant the first step in an ambitious plan inspired by his trip to China.
Mauger has asked for a report into whether solar panels could be suspended above the Bromley treatment plant, creating a vast power-generating canopy capable of helping power one of the city’s biggest energy users.
If successful, he sees potential for similar installations at major facilities including the new Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre and Taiora QEII, where large roofs and car parks could be harnessed to generate electricity, the NZ Herald reported.
Floating solar arrays are gaining traction in New Zealand as an innovative way to generate renewable energy on wastewater treatment ponds without using valuable land.
Mauger’s push for solar stems from a recent fact-finding trip to China, where he toured major infrastructure projects including waste-to-energy plants, high-speed rail networks and trackless trams.
But it was an innovative solar installation above a wastewater treatment plant that caught his attention and sparked ideas for Christchurch.“They had it over the top of their wastewater treatment plant, it’s 5m up in the air, and it’s like a roof, but it’s not a full roof,” Mauger told NZ Herald.
“When it rains, the water can drip down in between them. I came back and thought, wow, this is really exciting.”
The proposal is still in its information-gathering phase, with council staff assessing costs and feasibility, but Mauger is enthusiastic about the potential.
While discussions have also included installing solar arrays over large car parks, including at Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre, the wastewater treatment plant remains the primary focus.
“The main thing is to put these solar panels where we use the most power,” the mayor explained.
The treatment plant is one of the council’s largest power users, alongside its major aquatic facilities such as Parakiore in the central city and QEII in the east.