SEC Renewable Energy Park - Horsham powers ahead

26 November 2025

One year since construction began, the SEC Renewable Energy Park – Horsham has reached a major construction milestone, with the complete installation of all 212,296 solar panels.

SEC’s Executive General Manager, Assets, Lane Crockett said the milestone marked another important step in delivering publicly owned renewable electricity for Victorians.

“It’s incredible to see how far the SEC Renewable Energy Park – Horsham has come in just one year, with construction advancing across both the solar and battery storage components,” Mr Crockett said.

“The project is creating local jobs, developing skills for the next generation, and building the renewable energy infrastructure Victoria needs.”

The project’s solar farm panels and a 100-megawatt, two-hour battery system will have the capacity to power more than 51,000 Victorian homes each year. Owned 100% by Victorians, the project will be one of Australia’s first integrated solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS) connected through a single grid connection point.

Works at the site also include the arrival last week of a 162.5-tonne transformer - a critical component of the energy park that will be used to connect the project to the grid and enable the reliable transmission of renewable electricity for Victorians.

Work on the battery component of the project will continue into next year, ahead of the project’s expected commercial operational in 2027.

“The solar panels, battery works, and overall site progress show the scale and pace of one of Australia’s first 100% publicly owned utility-scale renewable energy projects,” Mr Crockett said.

More than 200 people have worked on the project to date, including many tradespeople from the local community and surrounding areas. The project is also employing nine apprentices and trainees who are gaining valuable hands-on experience in Victoria’s growing renewable energy sector.

SEC and its construction partners OX2 and PSD continue to engage with local jobseekers for upcoming roles as work progresses.

SEC is also working closely with the Horsham community to shape a Community Benefit Fund, ensuring the project delivers long-term value for the region. More than 100 people provided feedback on the fund earlier this year, and the fund will be launched next year.

SEC recently announced plans to increase the fund to $100,000 a year (indexed for CPI) and will now invest $3 million in local projects, initiatives and services for the 30-year operational life of the project.