Australia’s SEC signs 10-year deal for 102 MW solar-plus-storage project

Pacific Partnerships, the renewable energy arm of Sydney-headquartered construction and engineering firm Cimic Group, has secured a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Victoria’s SEC for the Chivers Road battery project in northeastern Victoria.

The 102 MW, four-hour battery energy storage system (BESS) is to be built on the site of Pacific’s 102 MW Glenrowan Solar Farm, located near the town of the same name in Victoria’s northeast.

Pacific said the Chivers Road BESS will connect to the site’s existing 33 kV grid infrastructure and bolster the solar farm’s capacity to store and dispatch renewable energy, supporting grid stability and maximising the benefits of solar generation.

The Glenrowan Solar Farm has been operating since early 2024 and is contracted through a long-term PPA with the SEC. The publicly-owned utility has now finalised a 10-year offtake agreement for the solar farm and battery project, replacing the existing arrangement.

Pacific General Manager David Lovell said the agreement builds on the success of the solar farm and creates the investment certainty required for the company to push ahead with the project.

“We look forward to similar success as we undertake our first large scale BESS hybridization,” he said. “Our agreement with SEC provides an important foundation for progressing the battery towards construction and delivering future investment and employment opportunities in Victoria’s northeast.”

Construction of the Chivers Road battery is expected to commence in the coming weeks following financial close with the project expected to be operational from mid-2028.

The SEC, that has secured access to 65% of the battery’s output, said the project will add significant storage capacity to the state-owned utility’s growing energy portfolio, strengthening its ability to supply government, and commercial and industrial customers across Victoria.

“Energy storage is critical to ensuring our customers have access to affordable, reliable electricity when they need it,” SEC Chief Executive Officer Chris Miller said.

“This agreement will allow us to make better use of the solar energy generated during the day and strengthen our ability to supply customers during periods of high demand.”

“We are building a diverse portfolio that brings generation and storage together to support Victoria’s energy future.”

SEC supplies renewable electricity, backed by storage, to more than 4,400 sites across Victoria, meeting approximately 5% of the state’s total electricity demand. It has signed up to supply all Victorian government operations with 100% renewable energy.

It is targeting 4.5 GW of committed energy generation and storage assets by 2035. The utility said it now has more than 1 GW of committed generation and storage assets and is now over 20% of the way towards its 2035 portfolio target.

From pv magazine Australia