Victoria has switched on the country’s largest operating battery near Melton, marking the State Electricity Commission’s first major project since its revival — and the first publicly owned energy asset since the SEC was sold off in the 1990s.
The Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub (MREH), jointly owned by the SEC and Equis Australia, is now fully operational after completing energisation and commissioning. The massive installation brings all 444 battery units online, providing 1.6 gigawatt hours of storage — enough to supply evening peak power to around 200,000 homes.
Minister for the State Electricity Commission Lily D’Ambrosio said the project shows how public ownership can help ease cost-of-living pressures. She said families “want help with the cost of living”, adding that the SEC’s return is designed to “help lower power prices” by storing cheap renewable energy when it is plentiful and supplying it when demand is high.
The big battery will absorb surplus rooftop solar and grid energy during the day, easing pressure on wholesale prices. It will also unlock an additional 1.8 gigawatts of new renewable generation, strengthening Victoria’s clean-energy transition and keeping downward pressure on future bills.
Construction of the hub created more than 1,200 jobs, including opportunities for over 70 apprentices, cadets and trainees. Residents in the City of Melton and surrounding areas will share in a $100,000-a-year Community Benefit Fund, with consultations now underway on how the money should be allocated.
The project is the SEC’s first publicly owned storage asset and will supply 100 per cent renewable energy — generated by SEC projects — to power public schools, hospitals, police stations, trains and other essential services.
D’Ambrosio said the hub represents “a publicly owned asset that keeps profits in the hands of Victorians – where they belong”.
Local MP Natalie Hutchins said the investment has already delivered jobs in Plumpton and will contribute to lowering energy bills across the state.
The MREH adds to the Victorian Government’s expanding renewable energy portfolio, which has helped maintain some of the lowest wholesale power prices in Australia.
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