Stanwell’s big battery gets a mega boost on pathway to clean energy hub

9 May 2024

• The Miles Government is supercharging Stanwell’s Central Queensland battery energy storage system by doubling its capacity. 
• Publicly-owned energy company, Stanwell, is partnering with Tesla and Yurika to build the giant 300MW system capable of supplying energy into the grid for up to four hours – making it the largest committed battery project in Queensland. 
• The project is underpinned by $448.2 million in funding from the State Government’s Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Job Fund. 
• The battery will form part of the Stanwell Clean Energy Hub, a site that has played a key role in Queensland’s energy supply for thirty years.

The Queensland Government is investing $448.2 million from the Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund towards a mega boost to Stanwell’s big battery.

This funding will see the battery planned for Stanwell Power Station double in size to become the state’s largest committed battery project.

Storage will increase from 150MW / 300 MWh (two-hour duration) to a 300MW / 1,200 MWh (four-hour duration) battery system.

As well as providing Queensland with reliable, affordable power, the $747 million project will provide a boost to local jobs, with up to 80 full-time roles to be created over the construction phase, as well as six full-time roles over the battery’s operation.

This mega battery system will be constructed within the Stanwell Power Station precinct near Rockhampton, as part of the site’s transition to a Clean Energy Hub.

Construction of the large-scale battery is scheduled to commence in May 2024 and the battery system is due to be operational in mid-2027.

The project signals a clear commitment to the Rockhampton and Central Queensland community that the renewable energy transformation will bring continued investment into the region and provide secure jobs at and around our publicly-owned generation sites into the future.

Stanwell CEO Michael O’Rourke said dispatchable energy assets like the Stanwell BESS were essential to a successful transformation of our energy system. 

“This large-scale battery can be charged by wind and solar during periods of peak renewable energy generation and discharged back into the grid during periods of high demand or to maintain grid stability,” Mr O’Rourke said.

“Our strategic goal is to have 5GW of energy storage operational by 2035. 

“This project increases Stanwell’s dispatchable energy capacity and is critical to Queensland’s energy future – providing clean, reliable energy and generating employment opportunities, investment and growth for Central Queensland,” Mr O’Rouke said.