The 119MW solar-plus-storage project (pictured) is expected to begin commercial operations in 2027. Image: SEC.

Victoria’s first state-owned solar-plus-storage project has reached a major construction milestone, with the installation of all 212,296 PV modules at the SEC Renewable Energy Park in Horsham, Australia.

The project represents a step in the State Electricity Commission’s (SEC) return to energy generation, following the Victorian government’s revival of the entity to drive the state’s renewable energy transition.

The 119MW solar-plus-storage site, which features a co-located 100MW/200MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), has also accepted delivery of a 162.5-tonne transformer that will connect the facility to the grid and the wider National Electricity Market (NEM).

As reported previously by our colleagues at Energy-Storage.news, energy storage system integrator Energy Vault will supply the BESS. The system will be built using the company’s X-Vault integration platform and its UL9540 and AS3000-certified B-VAULT integrated BESS enclosures.

Energy Vault, which also provides a proprietary gravity energy storage technology, has been employed by several developers for energy storage sites in Australia.

Once commercially operational in 2027, the project is expected to generate approximately 242,000MWh of renewable energy annually.

“This project represents a new chapter for Victoria’s energy future,” said Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan. “The SEC Renewable Energy Park will deliver clean, reliable energy while keeping profits in public hands to reinvest in more renewable energy projects.”

The Horsham facility marks Australia’s first 100% government-owned integrated solar and battery project, connecting through a single grid connection point approximately 5km east of Horsham’s central business district.

The site selection leveraged proximity to the Horsham Terminal Substation, established road network access and flat terrain free from native vegetation.

Originally known as the Horsham Solar Farm, the development won the Victorian government’s VRET2 renewables auction in 2022 under Esco Pacific ownership. The project subsequently changed hands to Swedish developer OX2 before being acquired by the SEC in September 2024, with the state entity doubling the planned battery component from the original design.

The SEC is constructing the facility in partnership with OX2, which continues as the development partner following the ownership transfer. This collaboration represents part of the SEC’s broader AU$370 million (US$242 million) investment in the Horsham project, which forms a cornerstone of Victoria’s renewable energy expansion strategy.

The Horsham development will operate in conjunction with the SEC’s larger Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub, a 600MW/1.6GWh facility currently under construction in Melton, Melbourne’s outer west. Together, these projects position the SEC to supply approximately 5% of Victoria’s electricity market when it re-enters the retail market.

The SEC has committed to reinvesting all profits from its renewable energy operations back into Victoria’s energy transition, establishing a AU$3 million community benefit fund for local projects and initiatives in the Horsham region. This will span the project’s 30-year operational lifecycle.