en.Wedoany.com Reported - French renewable energy developer Engie has connected its first large-scale solar project in Australia—the 250 MW Goorambat East Solar Farm (GESF) in northeastern Victoria—to the grid and commenced operations.

Located near the town of Benalla, the plant spans 630 hectares and is equipped with approximately 500,000 solar panels. The project was registered late last year and reached full production capacity earlier this year.

Engie stated that this plant is its first large-scale solar development in Australia and is currently the largest operational solar farm in Victoria. The company noted that GESF is not only a new renewable energy asset but also a tangible step in Victoria's energy transition, reflecting its commitment to building Australia's future energy system.

In terms of installed capacity, Goorambat East surpasses the 200 MW Kiamal Solar Farm in western Victoria, developed by French developer Total Eren. Kiamal was commissioned in 2021, and Total Eren plans to add 150 MW of second-phase capacity, with the final scale expected to exceed that of Goorambat.

Engie also operates the 150 MW/150 MWh Hazelwood Battery Energy Storage System in Victoria's Latrobe Valley and plans to deliver 3 GW of renewable energy to the National Electricity Market (NEM) by 2030. Its pipeline projects include the 120 MW Silverleaf plant and the 100 MW Yass plant in New South Wales, as well as the 200 MW Warhook plant in Queensland. Engie stated that the delivery of Goorambat East demonstrates its commitment to building a portfolio of large-scale solar, wind, and battery storage assets in Australia and strengthens confidence in advancing future projects.

The Goorambat East plant is one of Australia's first projects to adopt robot-assisted solar installation, with multiple partners showcasing on site how automated equipment streamlines the installation of PV module racks and foundation piles. Participating companies include Australia's Bouygues Construction and Equans Solar & Storage, as well as China's Huzhou-based Leapting Technology and U.S.-based Luminous.

The project also marked the Australian debut of Luminous's AI-driven "pick-and-place" PV module installation robot. The U.S. company claims the robot can increase plant construction speed by up to 3.5 times and improve cost efficiency.

Leapting Technology also trialed its AI-based module installation technology at Goorambat East, while U.S.-headquartered Build Robotics tested automated pile-driving equipment on site. These trials were facilitated by engineering, procurement, and construction contractors Bouygues Construction Australia and Equans Solar and Storage Australia.