The Victorian state electricity commission (SEC) has announced a $370 million (USD 241.3 million) investment in a proposed SEC Renewable Energy Park (REP), in partnership with Sweden-headquartered clean energy developer OX2
Located near Horsham, 315 kilometres northwest of Melbourne, the site will incorporate an under-development 119 MW solar farm owned but not yet built by OX2 and will now include a 100 MW two-hour battery energy storage system (BESS).
The SEC REP will be capable of generating around 242 GWh of renewable energy a year and will be used to provide cheap, 100% renewable electricity to Victorian government schools, hospitals and offices.
Image: SEC Victoria
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said bringing back the state electricity commission is all about giving power and profit back to the people.
“We’re building our future with the SEC – creating jobs, reducing bills and delivering reliable renewable energy across the state.”
The SEC REP is scheduled for completion in 2027 and marks its second clean energy investment under the government’s $1 billion renewable energy acceleration program, which aims to deliver 4.5 GW of energy and storage projects to the state.
The first project was the 600 MW Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub scheduled to connect to the grid in 2025 and store enough electricity to power up to 200,000 homes during peak periods.
Once operational, all profits made by the SEC will be reinvested back into renewable energy projects – growing the state’s battery storage, solar and wind farms.
The SEC REP will set up a community benefits fund and will invest $42,000 a year back into the local area during the project’s construction, and a further $70,000 every year once the project is operational.
Image: SEC Victoria
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