Victorian government has begun construction of one of the world’s largest renewable energy batteries and announced the return of the State Electricity Commission (SEC).

Premier Jacinta Allan and National Electricity Commission Minister Lily D’Ambrosio visited the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub, a 600-megawatt battery facility.

“As we build our future, SEC is making more renewable, affordable energy available to Victorians with one of the largest batteries in the world,” Allan said.

Construction of the large battery in Melbourne’s west is already underway, with the first of 444 Tesla Megapack battery units installed, and the first SEC project due to be operational in 2025.

Once completed, the node will be equipped with three batteries that will provide 1.6 gigawatt-hours of energy.

Since work on the project began late last year, more than 530 people have worked to complete earthworks and build other key infrastructure to prepare the site for the battery installation.

Next year, the Hub will begin storing excess energy from rooftop solar panels and surplus energy from the grid, enabling it to provide additional power during peak times to meet Victoria’s growing demand.

It will be connected to three Renewable Energy Zones, enabling more energy to be connected to the grid – helping to accelerate the energy transition and reduce energy bills.

The Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub is the first project to be delivered under SEC’s initial $1 billion investment. The project is co-owned by renewable energy investor Equis Australia.

This project will help achieve SEC’s goal of creating 4.5 gigawatts of new renewable energy generation and storage projects.

Building renewable energy storage is key to ensuring affordable and reliable energy supply as Victoria aims to transition to 95% renewable energy by 2035.

For more information visit secvictoria.com.au