Giant transformers to connect SEC’s big battery to the grid

Weighing a massive 335 tonnes each, the transformers travelled from the Port of Melbourne to the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub in Plumpton with an oversized load escort in the early hours of the morning to avoid traffic disruption.

A specialised crew worked over three days to complete a precise ‘jack and skate’ process, lifting the transformers and gliding them on to their foundations. A third transformer arrives soon and will undergo the same process, while work continues to connect the first two transformers.

“We’re excited to see the SEC’s first project take shape and continue to achieve construction milestones,” the SEC General Manager Asset Delivery, David Moo, said.

“The transformers being installed will enable the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub to deliver up to 1.6 gigawatt hours of energy storage onto the grid - enough to power 200,000 homes during peak periods.”

A transformer is an essential piece of equipment for any renewable energy generation or storage project, allowing energy to be sent to the transmission network at a higher voltage, maximising grid performance and reducing transmission losses over long distances. In the case of the Hub, this will enable reliable transmission of energy to Victorian households.

In an Australian-first for a battery energy storage connection, a 1.75 kilometre underground 500 kilovolt cable will be used to connect the project to the grid via the Sydenham Terminal Station.

On track to be operational later this year, the Hub is co-owned with renewable energy investor Equis Australia.

The project recently reached a significant construction milestone with all the site’s 444 battery units now in place. The units form three giant battery components that will ultimately strengthen Victoria’s electricity network.

Since construction began in late 2023, more than 790 people have worked across all aspects of the project, including 30 apprentices, trainees and cadets.