Renewable energy developer BrightNight now has the green light to begin construction on the $700 million Mortlake Energy Hub in the state’s southwest.
The BrightNight project is expected to create around 300 construction jobs and leverage the existing Mortlake Terminal Station to store energy and solar power and release it into the grid when it’s needed – delivering more affordable and renewable energy.
“The Mortlake Energy Hub will soak up locally generated renewable energy and pump it back into the grid when it’s needed most to support Victorian homes and businesses with cheaper energy,” said minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio.
The project will combine a 360-megawatt solar energy facility with a 300-megawatt battery energy storage system capable of powering 140,000 homes and cutting emissions by 41.4 million tonnes annually.
Earlier this year, renewable energy projects became eligible for the Labor Government’s Development Facilitation Program pathway – ensuring more cleaner and cheaper energy projects get off the ground faster.
Projects like this support Victoria’s renewable energy targets of 65 per cent by 2030 and 95 per cent by 2035 and are supported by energy storage targets of at least 2.6 gigawatts by 2030 and 6.3 gigawatts by 2035.
Achieving Victoria’s renewable energy targets is expected to create 59,000 jobs and deliver $9.5 billion in economic development to help us reach net zero emissions by 2045.