Lion Installs Solar On New Zealand’s Largest Brewery

Lion NZ is excited to announce the installation of one of the largest rooftop solar arrays in the country at New Zealand’s largest brewery.

Lion NZ Managing Director Craig Baldie said increasing the use of renewable electricity supports Lion’s ongoing commitment to decarbonise its business.

“Being one of the largest rooftop solar arrays in the country, the 2,424 panels covering an area of around 5,400m2, will be visible from flights into and out of nearby Auckland Airport. At 1.21 megawatts it’s estimated that solar energy will provide 14.4 per cent of the brewery’s electricity needs per year – equivalent to approximately 228 average households.

“We are a net carbon zero certified* company and committed to the ongoing decarbonisation of our business. Brewing is an energy intensive process. At the Pride, our state-of-the-art brewery in East Tamaki where we produce many of New Zealand’s best loved beers such as Steinlager and Speight’s, we can run 160,000 cans and bottles per hour across the four production lines.

“Since 2019 – our Science Based Targets baseline year – we have reduced Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions at the Pride by 13 per cent per kilolitre of beverage produced. By investing in solar, we will increase our reliance on new renewable energy, reduce our carbon emissions further and free up more than a megawatt of demand from the national grid.”

The project was given the green light in August last year.

“In the past few years solar energy has come a long way. The Pride opened in 2010 but wasn’t expressly designed for rooftop solar. One of the things we had to work out was whether the roof could hold the weight as well as balance the costs. A significant structural assessment of the roof was undertaken to engineer the design for the roof to take the load of the 74,000-kilogram structure.”

Lion is partnering with Meridian Energy, Reid Technology and Solar Vision.

Meridian Chief Customer Officer Lisa Hannifin says the company is extremely proud to be supporting Lion with its solar plans.

“Lion is showing amazing leadership in this space and it’s another important step on New Zealand’s journey towards an electric future. Energy contributes around 40 per cent of New Zealand’s total gross emissions, so this switch by Lion will provide lasting sustainability benefits for the wider community.”

The project is targeting completion in April and is being funded through a Power Purchase Agreement with Meridian.

“Along with the sustainability benefits, it’s a smart commercial investment providing predictable electricity costs and a less than seven-year payback period. Adding solar electricity into the mix is a logical and exciting milestone for us. We are proud to have been carbon zero across the whole organisation since 2021, and we continue to explore ways to be more efficient and sustainable across everything we do,” said Mr Baldie.

About the project:

• Lion’s largest production site, The Pride in East Tamaki, opened in 2010 and is where some of New Zealand’s favourite beverage brands are made including, Steinlager, Speight’s, Mac’s and Kirin Hyoketsu.
• The 1.21 MW-Solar array is being installed on the warehouse roof, and it is estimated it will provide 14.4% of site’s electricity.
• In total, the Solar array comprises 2,424 panels, and weighs around 74,251kg (the panels themselves weigh 57,000kg).
• Initial work began in September 2024 with panel installation beginning in March; the project is targeting completion in April.

* Toitū net carbonzero certified.

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