State's biggest solar project, partially built by robots, is fully commissioned

The new biggest solar farm in Victoria is “fully commissioned and officially handed over” to its operators, bringing an end to a fascinating construction journey that put a range of autonomous robotic technologies to the test.

The 250 megawatt Goorambat East solar farm, near Benalla in the north of the state, is the first solar project to be built in Australia by Engie, which also owns the Hazelwood battery in the Latrobe Valley, which was built at the site of the shuttered coal plant.

Engie bought the project from Neoen in 2023, and much of the project had been completed towards the end of last year, when the first bursts of electricity were sent to the grid.

But contractor Equans ANZ has announced the official construction close and project handover this week.

“That’s a wrap on Goorambat East Solar Farm – a 250 MVA project in Victoria, now fully commissioned and officially handed over to O&M,” Equans ANZ project engineer Vincent Fendel said on LinkedIn on Tuesday.