The SEC Renewable Energy Park at Horsham has connected to the electricity grid for the first time.

The development means the project’s solar farm has moved from mechanical completion into commissioning and energisation, which involves safely connecting the solar farm to the electricity grid, in preparation for operation in 2027.

The solar farm component of the project has completed all major construction tasks, including the installation of 212,296 solar panels, a tracker system, a 162.5-tonne transformer, switch room substation and high-voltage infrastructure, cables and earth grid.

SEC’s assets executive general manager Lane Crockett said the project’s solar farm panels and a 100-megawatt, two-hour battery system would have the capacity to power more than 51,000 Victorian homes each year.

“The SEC Renewable Energy Park – Horsham will be operational in 2027 and play an important role in Victoria’s energy transition,” he said.

“It will support the state’s planned retirement of key coal assets, including Yallourn, which is scheduled to close in 2028.

“What we are marking today is one of the most important milestones on any renewable energy project as it moves from construction to contributing renewable energy to the grid.

“Before this stage, a project must complete thousands of installation, construction, and safety activities, which must then pass inspections, testing, and safety checks to ensure they operate correctly and safely.”

The solar farm will now proceed through two preparation stages, known as hot commissioning and hold point testing, allowing it to gradually switch on and test different parts of the solar farm, including the substations, transformers, underground cables, inverters, and other electrical equipment.

The project’s next steps include preparing for the arrival and installation of the battery energy storage system later this year.

More than 400 people have worked on the project to date, including about 20 apprentices and trainees.

The entire September 9, 2026 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!