The State Electricity Commission (SEC)’s Renewable Energy Park is powering ahead, with the Victorian Government naming the contractor who will deliver the BESS (battery energy storage system) component for the project.
Energy Vault will construct the 100MW, two-hour BESS component.
The battery will store energy from the project’s 119MW solar farm, which can generate around 242,000MWh of renewable energy a year – enough to power 51,000 homes.
The battery will store cheap renewable energy from the solar farm and pump it into the electric grid at times of peak demand – helping to lower power prices. The battery also enables an additional 180MW of new renewables to be connected to the grid.
Preconstruction works have begun on site in Horsham, with the project on track for completion in 2027. The project is expected to create around 246 jobs over the construction period, including 20 roles for apprentices, trainees and cadets.
The SEC said it will also deliver direct benefits for the local community, via a community benefits fund. The SEC will work with the community to invest $42,000 a year back into the local area during the project’s construction, and a further $70,000 every year once the project is operational.
The development comes as the SEC’s first investment project, the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub, prepares to plug into Victoria’s electricity grid later in 2025. The 600MW big battery near Melton will store enough renewable energy to power 200,000 homes during peak periods.
The Victorian Government said that all profits made by the SEC will be reinvested back into Victoria and help to deliver more renewable energy projects and help Victorians save money on their energy bills.
Victorian Minister for the SEC, Lily D’Ambrosio, said that building more renewable energy will make sure Victoria can continue to have the lowest wholesale energy prices in the market, push down energy bills and create good local jobs.
“We’re excited to partner with Energy Vault to help deliver the battery for our first 100 per cent publicly owned renewable energy project,” she said.
Member for Western Victoria, Jacinta Ermacora, said, “The SEC Renewable Energy Park will deliver cheaper power for all of Victoria and create lots of great new jobs in Horsham.”
Energy Vault Chairman and CEO, Robert Piconi, said, “This publicly-owned project is well-aligned with our mission to accelerate the clean energy transition through sustainable and efficient energy storage solutions and will play a pivotal role in ensuring the availability of renewable energy.”
