Victoria's SEC partners with Aware Super and Birdwood on 1.86GWh energy storage project
The State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SEC) has partnered with Aware Super and Birdwood to develop a 1.86GW-hour battery energy storage system in Wodonga, Australia. The Baranduda Electrical Energy Reserve will have four units totaling 400MW capacity and is expected to supply power for up to 4.65 hours per unit. Scheduled to become operational by late 2028, the project aims to store renewable energy during low-demand periods and release it when demand peaks. Construction of the battery system will begin in November 2026 and create around 150 jobs. SEC has committed up to $30.6 million (A$43 million) for a minority stake, with an agreement to purchase half of its output over 15 years under a long-term offtake arrangement. The remaining energy will be sold on the merchant market. Aware Super's Jenny Newmarch emphasized that this project supports their growing portfolio in energy storage and aligns with broader efforts for renewable reliability.
Topics: battery storage infrastructure development public-private partnership renewable energy