Melton students discover the SEC’s renewable battery project
13 November 2024
Melton students swapped their classroom for the construction site of one of the world’s biggest batteries and discovered some of the many careers on offer in the renewables sector.
The year 10 students from Melton Specialist School were part of the SEC’s first school visit to the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub in Plumpton, a partnership between the SEC and renewable energy investor Equis Australia.
The visit gave students a tour of the Hub which is due to come online next year and deliver 1.6 gigawatt-hours of energy storage, enough to power around 200,000 homes during peak times.
The students saw up close some of the site’s 444 battery units which will ultimately strengthen Victoria’s electricity network by soaking up surplus rooftop solar and energy from the grid. The units will discharge this energy supply in periods of high demand.
During a careers session, some of the workers on the project provided the students with insights into how they are helping create the giant battery. The project has already seen around 650 people, including apprentices and cadets, work on the site during the initial construction phase.
“Students at Melton Specialist School are neighbours to this exciting project and we are delighted they are the very first students to visit the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub,” said the SEC’s Chief Executive Officer, Chris Miller.
“Through school visits like this, the SEC can help students learn about the many opportunities in the renewables sector and see how they could be part of the crucial efforts to enable Victoria’s renewable energy transition.
“A key focus of the SEC is helping build the renewable energy workforce our energy transition requires, and we are looking forward to hosting more students in the coming months.”
The visit was supported by Glide In, a capacity building program run by the Centre for Disability Employment Research and Practice that helps students with the transition from school to work or study.
