Downer delivers electrical switch room for solar farm

18/12/2025

Downer’s electrical manufacturing facility at Hexham in NSW has completed construction of a purpose-built electrical switchroom for Energy SEA, supporting the Lancaster Solar Farm project in regional Victoria.

Energy SEA engaged Downer to design, manufacture and deliver the switch room, which houses 33kV switchgear, control and protection panels, internal cabling, fire suppression systems, and air conditioning. Designed and manufactured entirely in-house, it demonstrates Downer’s end-to-end capability across engineering, steel fabrication, building design and construction.

“From structural design through to final commissioning, every stage of this project was delivered by our team in Hexham,” said Aaron Wylie, General Manager Energy Solutions.

“We start from the ground up, planning equipment layouts, heat loads, lifting sequences, and fabrication - before completing construction and delivering for final site installation and integration by our customer. Typically, these projects take around 16 to 18 weeks from design to completion.”

The switch room delivered by Downer for Energy SEA and the Lancaster Solar Farm highlights the role of the Hexham manufacturing facility in supporting Australia’s transition to renewable energy.

“Downer has been building switchrooms for years in Australia and they are a big part of what we do here at Hexham,” added Liam Parker, Manufacturing Manager. “It’s about more than manufacturing – we’re proud to deliver projects for clients that help accelerate the pathway to net zero,” said Aaron.

With fully-Australian based facilities in Hexham and Richlands in QLD, Downer’s specialist teams provide seamless, high-quality manufacturing that supports businesses in their energy transition journey. From design and fabrication to installation and commissioning, our expertise covers switchboards, switchrooms, skid fabrication, structural steel and sheetmetal fabrication,  label and wire production.

Downer’s national capability is designed to meet evolving customer needs while ensuring compliance with Australian Standards, Building Codes, and industry best practices.

The Lancaster Solar Farm is currently under development and is set to provide more than 100MW of solar power to Victoria. Energy SEA is an Australian company specialising in power transmission and distribution, with a focus on supporting renewable energy integration.