With the backing of Microsoft, ENGIE ANZ is marking the successful commissioning of the Goorambat East solar farm in northern Victoria.
Located near Benalla, the 250-megawatt solar farm, which represents ENGIE’s first large-scale solar development in Australia, is underpinned by a 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Microsoft.
This forms part of the tech giant’s expansion in Australia, with a $25 billion investment in Australian data centres and cybersecurity announced in May. Microsoft launched its first Azure data centres in Australia in October 2014.
Other Microsoft PPAs signed include agreements with the Walla Walla solar farm, the Rye Park wind farm and, most recently, the Carwarp Energy Park – a deal that was only signed last week.
This comes as data-centre developers face increasing Australian Government legislation to offset their power usage with renewable energy.
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For ENGIE ANZ chief executive officer Laura Caspari, the commissioning of Goorambat East affirms the appetite for renewables in Victoria.
“Victoria’s energy transition is not theoretical – it’s happening now, and it closely mirrors ENGIE’s own transformation over recent years,” she said.
“As coal fired power retires, we’ve stepped forward to build the next generation of energy infrastructure – wind, solar and batteries – while continuing to support customers through a period of significant change.”
Caspari said Victoria will continue to be a core market for ENGIE’s growth ambitions.
“Victoria is an important foundation state for ENGIE as we build out our renewables portfolio,” she said. “Goorambat East reflects our long-term commitment to the region, local communities, and the state’s clean energy future.”
The solar farm created more than 250 jobs during its construction phase, along with ongoing local roles for the operation and maintenance of the asset.
ENGIE will also commit a community benefit fund of $75,000 per year for the life of the project to help support local initiatives and deliver long-term benefits to the Goorambat and Benalla communities.