Emerson to automate New Zealand's first large-scale photovoltaic solar power project for lodestone energy

Lodestone Energy has chosen global technology and software leader Emerson to provide advanced automation solutions for New Zealand's first large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power project. This renewable energy project will support New Zealand's national effort to decarbonize its energy sector and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Emerson's expertise in renewable power generation will ensure the safety and reliability of Lodestone Energy's two 23-megawatt sites in Kaitaia and Edgecumbe. With solar PV becoming one of the fastest-growing renewable energy sources, Emerson's advanced automation architecture will integrate a wide variety of third-party systems with automation and control technology, maximizing output and profitability while contributing to grid stability.

Peter Apperley, General Manager of Engineering at Lodestone Energy, said, "Emerson's expertise in automation software for power generation and sustainability will help us more quickly build a world-class facility, while also more seamlessly integrating with the national grid to drive successful, efficient operation over the lifecycle of the plant."

Emerson's Ovation™ distributed control system and OCR3000 controller will provide comprehensive control to minimize the impact of variability and intermittency in solar PV power generation, while also making it easier for operators to quickly respond to grid frequency events. The Ovation enterprise data solutions will provide secure monitoring of solar PV operations, measuring, monitoring, and reporting key performance indicators to increase visibility of plant operations.

Bob Yeager, President of Emerson's Power and Water Business, said, "Lodestone's strategy perfectly aligns with Emerson's boundless automation vision of an advanced technology stack leveraging integrated, scalable control to provide access to critical data not only across the plant and industrial edge, but also throughout the enterprise."

Emerson's Ovation platform will act as a process orchestration tool, seamlessly connecting third-party systems such as inverters, high voltage switchboards, weather stations, site security systems, and grid authority remote terminal units to provide fast and intuitive visibility for operators. In addition, it is ideally suited to support compliance with New Zealand's energy participation code.