One of Australia’s largest grid-scale battery projects has been officially switched on, with the $1.1 billion Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub now delivering large-scale storage capacity to support Victoria’s electricity system.
Developed by Equis Australia in partnership with State Electricity Commission Victoria (SEC), the project is located in Melbourne’s west and provides 600 megawatts (MW) of power capacity with 1.6 gigawatt-hour (GWh) of energy storage. At full output, the battery can supply enough electricity to power around 200,000 homes during evening peak demand periods.
The project represents a major new component of firming infrastructure for Victoria’s grid as coal generation exits the system and variable renewable energy continues to grow.
Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub is one of the few battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the state capable of supporting three Victorian Renewable Energy Zones and is strategically positioned at the intersection of key transmission corridors serving the Melbourne metropolitan load centre.
David Russell, Managing Director at Equis, shared that the project marks the company’s first operational asset in Australia and demonstrates the role large-scale storage will play in the future grid.
“Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub is our first project to go live in Australia and the Equis team has delivered a world-leading project on schedule and on budget,” he said.
The project includes 444 Tesla Megapacks and three Toshiba 500 kilovolt (kV) high-voltage transformers, along with what Equis describes as a world-first underground 500 kV cable connecting the battery system into existing gas-insulated grid infrastructure.
According to Equis, the project also achieved a technical milestone by registering all three battery systems to the grid in parallel.
Chris Miller, Chief Executive Officer at SEC, shared that energy storage is a critical enabler of Victoria’s transition to a renewables-dominated power system.
“SEC’s $245 million investment was pivotal to the project’s delivery, enabling construction to begin and allowing one of the project’s three big batteries to be upscaled from two to four hours of storage,” he said.
Construction began in 2024 and was completed on schedule. The build phase supported more than 1,200 jobs, including over 70 trainees and apprentices, highlighting the role large-scale energy infrastructure is playing in workforce development alongside decarbonisation.
Russell added that the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub combines cutting-edge battery technology with Australian engineering expertise, setting a benchmark for speed, quality, and community benefit in energy storage delivery.