Manawa Energy is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest renewable energy generators and is proud to be supporting the Hororata Community Trust, helping our community GLOW!

We can trace our origins back over 100 years to the early 1900s, when hydro-electric power generation was established on the Omanawa River in the Bay of Plenty. It is from these origins that our name, which was gifted to us by Ngāti Hangarau hapū who are mana whenua of the Omanawa River, was taken.

Manawa means heart, and speaks to the heart of our operations in the Bay of Plenty, from where we connect to communities across Aotearoa New Zealand through our hydro generation schemes. We generate power from the Bay of Plenty in the north to Otago in the south, operating 26 hydro schemes in total.

Today, our power stations account for around 8% of Aotearoa New Zealand’s hydro-generated power, with two of them located in Canterbury. The Lake Coleridge and Highbank power stations generate enough electricity to power 50,000 kiwi homes each year, or enough to power the homes in the Selwyn District twice over!

Manawa Energy is the main funder of the Rakaia Catchment Environmental Enhancement Society. This year alone we contributed $126,000 to the Society fund, which included an allocation to a special project to protect the native ngahere (forest) in the Rakaia Gorge, alongside Environment Canterbury, Selwyn District Council, Ashburton District Council, Land Information New Zealand and local landowners.

As Aoteroa New Zealand moves towards a low-emissions, more electrified economy, we are on a mission to build more renewable generation to meet the increased electricity demand. We’ll need more renewable generation than ever before, so we’re developing solar and wind generation infrastructure, to continue utilising the power of nature to meet Aotearoa New Zealand’s energy needs.

Visit our stand at the Hororata Glow Festival – site 91 next to the stage.