CONSTRUCTION is continuing at pace on ENGIE’s Goorambat East Solar Farm near Benalla with the help of a autonomous piling system.

Bouygues Construction Australia’s project director Bastien Sauvet said with ENGIE’s support, they have partnered with Built Robotics to trial the cutting-edge Autonomous Piling System at the 250MW solar facility.

“The system uses advanced AI, GPS, and sensor technology to precisely drive piles with minimal human oversight, boosting efficiency and accuracy," Mr Sauvet said.

“This marks a major step in automating utility-scale solar construction, reducing costs, and accelerating timelines while maintaining high safety standards.”

The plan is for the piling to be completed around the end of June and installation of the first solar panels is about to start this week, with the first “golden row” almost complete – it will then be replicated across the rest of the site.

ENGIE’s general manager of engineering & asset delivery Leigh Newbery said its construction contractor, Bouygues Construction Australia, is managing the on-site works.

"We are currently peaking at about 240 people on-site for the construction, while our dedicated project team – including around 50 specialised staff in design, consulting, and management – ensures every detail is meticulously managed," he said.

“Once the Goorambat East Solar Farm is built and commissioned in 2026, it will have a generating capacity of up to 250 megawatts (MW), which is enough to power up to 105,000 average Victorian homes."

Mr Newbery said the Goorambat East Solar Farm also incorporates numerous environmental initiatives, such as the planting of 14,000 trees on site to enhance local biodiversity and screen off the site for neighbouring farms.

"This approach is part of a broader vision to blend renewable energy with agriculture—a concept known as agrivoltaics.

“In Australia we are lucky to have the space to experiment with agrivoltaics, which might involve integrating sheep grazing or even specialised horticultural practices under the solar panels."