Victoria’s State Electricity Commission (SEC) will help build one of the world’s biggest battery projects.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for the State Electricity Commission Lily D’Ambrosio yesterday turned the first sod
on the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub (the Hub) near Melton – which will store enough energy to power up to 200,000 homes during peak periods.
This is the first investment from the SEC’s initial $1 billion towards building 4.5 gigawatts of new renewable energy generation and storage projects.
The Hub will be comprised of three battery components totalling 600 megawatts in size, and is being developed in partnership with renewable energy investor Equis Australia.
Once complete, the Hub will provide 1.6 gigawatt hours of energy storage.
Construction of the $1 billion storage facility will create up to 155 jobs, including 14 apprentice and trainee roles.
The SEC is investing $245 million in the Hub enabling construction to begin immediately and supporting one of the project’s battery components to double in size.
Major construction will kick off today, and the Hub is expected to be operational by 2025 – when it will start storing excess rooftop solar and surplus energy from the grid, providing extra power to meet Victoria’s growing demand.
Essential power and communications infrastructure provider GenusPlus Group Ltd (Genus) has, in a joint venture with Samsung C&T Corporation, been awarded three contracts for the engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning for the Balance of Plant scope and BESS installation for a 600MW/1,600MWh battery energy storage project for Phase 1 of the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub (MREH) on a lump sum and turn-key basis.
The combined contract values are approximately $200 million with works to commence immediately and estimated be completed by June 2025.
The joint venture, where Genus has a 30 per cent interest, will perform the turn-key contract for the engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning for BOP scope and BESS installation of the MREH Project.
The project is critical to meeting Victoria’s target of at least 2.6 gigawatts of energy storage capacity by 2030 and 6.3 gigawatts by 2035.
Victoria is transitioning to 95 per cent renewable energy generation by 2035.