Victoria is now home to the the largest operating battery in Australia, with SEC and Equis Australia‘s Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub (MREH) now fully operational.
Located near Melton, the MREH’s 444 battery units are now online, delivering up to 1.6GWh of storage—enough to power 200,000 homes during the evening peak period.
Related article: Final transformer placed at Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub
The battery will charge when energy is abundant and discharge when supplies are low. By soaking up surplus rooftop solar and energy from the grid, the battery will help reduce power prices.
It will also enable an additional 1.8GW of new generation to connect to the grid, increasing the supply of cheap renewable energy.
MREH is also the first publicly owned storage asset that the SEC will use to supply 100% renewable electricity, generated by its own projects, to power Victoria’s public schools, hospitals, police stations, trains and more.
Related article: SEC Renewable Energy Park reaches construction milestone
Minister for the State Electricity Commission Lily D’Ambrosio said, “Families want help with the cost of living, that’s why we brought back the SEC to help lower power prices.
“The SEC is accelerating the energy transition—this project means lower bills for Victorians and a publicly owned asset that keeps profits in the hands of Victorians—where they belong.”
