212,296 panels installed at state’s first publicly owned solar-battery project
Victoria’s SEC Renewable Energy Park in Horsham has finished installing all 212,296 solar panels.
The project also received a 162.5-tonne transformer that will connect the site to the grid.
The $370 million development includes a 119 MW solar farm and a 100 MW/200 MWh battery.
The SEC acquired the project one year ago and began construction near the Horsham substation.
SEC executive Lane Crockett said construction is advancing quickly across both the solar and battery elements.
The project began as the Horsham solar farm, winning support through Victoria’s 2022 VRET2 auction.
It passed through several owners – Esco Pacific, then OX2, then an unnamed buyer – before the SEC purchased it in late 2024.
The SEC doubled the planned battery size and rebranded the site as the SEC Renewable Energy Park – Horsham.
Battery construction will continue into next year, with full commercial operations expected in 2027.
Once complete, the project will generate about 242,000 MWh a year—power for 51,000 homes—and will be Victoria’s first fully government-owned energy generator.