Largest solar farm in Victoria begins construction

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The Australian arm of French developer Engie has begun construction on what is the state’s largest solar farm to date, though even bigger projects are coming up Victoria’s pipeline.

The 250 MW Goorambat East Solar Farm, which sits in Northern Victoria between the towns of Goorambat and Benalla, is slated for completion and the start of operations in 2026.

Engie acquired the project from Neoen in late 2023, and it is Engie’s first solar project in Victoria after the closure of its Hazelwood coal fired power generator in 2017.

Goorambat East solar farm will comprise of approximately 500,000 solar panels deployed across a 630-hectare site that apparently spans five private rural properties. The facility will connect to the grid via the newly built Goorambat East terminal station. Companies Bouygues Construction Australia and Equans Solar and Storage have reportedly been contracted by Engie to provide engineering, procurement, and construction services.

Engie has committed to a community benefit fund of $75,000 per year for the life of the project, as well as up to $1,000 in annual electricity rebates offered to eligible near neighbours of the project, once it starts to generate electricity. Financial close for the project was announced in August.

Engie Australia’s Managing Director of Renewables, Laura Caspari, says the Goorambat East Solar Farm is a landmark in the company’s goal to deliver 3 GW of renewable energy in Australia by 2030.

The company’s project pipeline is reportedly closing in on that goal, and includes the 120 MW Silverleaf and 100 MW Yass solar farms being developed in New South Wales, alongside the 200 MW Warhook Solar Farm project in Queensland.

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