Australian 1.6 GWh battery on target, giant transformers in place

One of Australia’s biggest battery energy storage systems (BESS) is preparing to plug into Victoria’s electricity grid with two 335-ton transformers in place at the 1.6 GWh Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub (MREH).
Image: Lumea

The first two of three giant transformers to be deployed as part of the 600 MW/1.6 GWh MREH have arrived on site.

The Victoria government-owned State Electricity Commission (SEC), which is developing the project in the outer west of Melbourne with Singapore-based renewables investor Equis, said the MREH is on track to start commercial operation in 2025, when it will start storing excess rooftop solar and grid electricity.

SEC general manager for asset delivery, David Moo, said that with all 444 battery components now in place at the MREH, the transformers are the final pieces that will connect the battery to the National Electricity Market, providing extra power to meet Victoria’s growing demand.

“We’re excited to see the SEC’s first project take shape and continue to achieve construction milestones ahead of being operational later this year,” said Moo. “The transformers being installed will enable the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub to deliver up to 1.6 GWh of energy storage onto the grid – enough to power 200,000 homes during peak [grid demand] periods.”

Once complete, the big battery is also expected to enable 1.8 GW of new renewable energy generation capacity to be added to the grid.

The developers said a specialized crew had positioned the first two of the 335-ton transformers onto their foundations at the project site in Plumpton, 25 km northwest of Melbourne. A third transformer is expected to arrive in February 2025 and will undergo the same “jack and skate” process while work continues to connect the first two devices.

The MREH will comprise three separate BESS – two of them with two hours of storage capacity and one with four hours – featuring Tesla’s integrated Megapack solution which includes lithium-ion batteries, power conversion system, and thermal management and controls.

The site is the first investment from the SEC’s initial AUD 1 billion ($619 million) fund for building 4.5 GW of new renewable energy generation and energy storage projects.

The MREH will help deliver on the Victorian government’s target of installing at least 2.6 GW of energy storage capacity by 2030, and 6.3 GW by 2035.

From pv magazine Australia.

Written by

  • David is a senior journalist with more than 25 years' experience in the Australian media industry as a writer, designer and editor for print and online publications. Based in Queensland – Australia’s Sunshine State – he joined pv magazine Australia in 2020 to help document the nation’s ongoing shift to solar.

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