WORKS have begun on what is set to be Victoria's largest solar farm to date in Goorambat East.
Victorian Minister for Climate Action, Energy and Resources and State Electricity Commission, Lily D'Ambrosio, joined ENGIE ANZ Executives and team members for a sod-turning ceremony at ENGIE’s 250 MW Goorambat East Solar Farm project.
ENGIE Australia’s managing director of renewables, Laura Caspari, said construction of the project, near Goorambat and Benalla, is proceeding as planned and will make an important contribution to ENGIE’s renewable energy ambitions in one of its key foothold states.
“We expect construction and commissioning of Goorambat East Solar Farm to be finished in 2026, helping to advance our goal of delivering 3 GW of renewable energy in Australia by 2030,” said Ms Caspari.
The Goorambat East project will create approximately 250 new jobs during construction, represents significant new private investment in regional Victoria, and will help to meet the state’s renewable energy targets.
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Once completed, the solar farm will generate enough electricity at maximum capacity to power the equivalent of 105,000 average Victorian homes.
“Goorambat East is an optimal project with an excellent solar resource and access to existing transmission infrastructure – it also has a great network of near neighbours and community members that we’ve been working with.
"We look forward to being a part of this community and making meaningful contributions at every stage of this project,” said Ms Caspari.
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.
“ENGIE has been operating in Victoria since 1996 and today has a significant retail presence, an important rehabilitation project and 150MW/ 150MWh battery at Hazelwood, and a pipeline of renewable energy developments.
"It will be a gratifying, full-circle moment to build on our legacy and operate clean energy assets here,” said Ms. Caspari.
