BNRG Leeson, a joint venture between Dublin-based BNRG Renewables and Melbourne-based Leeson Group, is developing the Corop Solar Farm.
The system will use around 1.19 million solar modules on single-axis tracking systems with maximum tilt heights of 4.35 meters. The rows of panels maintain a spacing of 6 meters across the development footprint, which extends across 12 land titles in the agricultural zone.
The 440 MWdc generation capacity of the solar PV system will be connected to Victoria's transmission grid via a dedicated substation and switching station. This will provide a connection to the existing 220 kV transmission line and the larger National Electricity Market (NEM), which covers Australia's eastern and southern states and territories.
Meanwhile, the co-located 800 MWh BESS will have up to 208 container units with integrated inverters and transformers. The BESS components occupy a designated storage area within the larger facility area and, in addition to energy storage functions, also offer grid stabilization services.
The facility is located on heavily modified agricultural land with extensive clearing, cultivation and grazing history, reducing environmental constraints while creating suitable conditions for large-scale solar development.
The flat terrain with elevation profiles of 105 to 110 meters offers optimal access conditions for the installation and maintenance of solar modules. Crucially, the site's proximity to existing transmission infrastructure eliminates the need for extensive new transmission lines, reducing project costs and environmental impacts.
Environmental impact assessments confirm the absence of threatened ecological communities within the development area. There are three temporary freshwater wetlands on the site, which should be avoided through careful facility planning.
At the same time, native vegetation remnants, including scattered Gray Box, Buloke, Yellow Box and River Red Gum trees, are preserved outside the main development areas.
Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin in January 2026 and operation is planned until 2066. This 40-year operational schedule reflects standard industry practice for utility-scale solar installations and provides long-term security of renewable energy supply to the Victorian electricity market.
Solar PV in Australia's EPBC Act
Australia's renewable energy sector continues to grow rapidly, with numerous large solar and storage projects moving through the federal environmental permitting process under the EPBC Act.
The EPBC Act, administered by the federal government, aims to protect nationally threatened species and ecological communities. A project must be approved under the law before development can begin.
If a project is deemed to have a significant impact on these matters, it becomes a “controlled action” requiring assessment and approval under the EPBC Act. On the other hand, if a project does not have a significant impact, it becomes a “no controlled action,” meaning it is clear for development.
Recently, ACE Power and Osaka Gas Australia received EPBC Act approval for their 141MW Forbes solar farm project in New South Wales in just 19 days, marking one of the fastest environmental approvals on record in the country.
The solar PV power plant will comprise a 120MW/480MWh BESS and will be located on a 270-hectare site approximately 11km north of Forbes. The short timeline for approval resulted from the developers' decision to build the facility on degraded agricultural land with minimal native vegetation.
Another solar PV power plant, Weasel Solar Farm, a landowner-led 250MW solar-plus-storage project in Tasmania, received EPBC legislative approval in just 20 days earlier this year.