Acting Premier Ben Carroll and Minister for the State Electricity Commission Lily D’Ambrosio today welcomed the installation of two giant 335 tonne transformers at the 600-megawatt Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub (MREH) in Plumpton.
This is a milestone for one of the world’s biggest renewable energy storage batteries, with all 444 Tesla Megapack ‘big battery’ components now in place at the MREH.
“This is one of the world’s biggest batteries that can store enough energy to power 200,000 homes,” said D’Ambrosio.
“Soon, we’ll plug a publicly owned energy asset into the electricity grid for the first time in more than 25 years.”
The giant transformers are the final pieces that will connect the battery’s power to the grid and allow it to be pumped at higher voltage.
A third transformer will arrive next month, while work continues to connect the first two transformers.
The big battery will come online later this year. It works by soaking up excess solar and surplus energy from the grid and releasing it back into the grid during the evening peak to boost supply and put downward pressure on bills. It will also allow 1.8 gigawatts of new renewable energy generation to be added to the grid.
The big battery will store enough renewable energy to power 200,000 homes during peak periods. More than 790 people have worked across all aspects of the project, including 30 apprentices, trainees and cadets.
The SEC will build 4.5 gigawatts of new renewable energy and storage projects – enough to power more than 1.5 million homes – and all profits are set to be reinvested back into Victorian projects that deliver cheaper renewable energy.
Construction is also underway on the first 100 percent government owned renewable energy project in Australia – the SEC Renewable Energy Park in Horsham.
The $370 million investment includes a 100-megawatt two-hour battery and 119-megawatt solar farm that will power 51,000 homes and create 246 jobs.
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