Plans to increase deployed battery energy storage capacity in Queensland, Australia by around 500MWh and been given a boost following the state’s government announcment.
The state’s government will invest funds from the 2022 Queensland Budget to ramp up the state’s energy independence and power progress towards its 50% renewable energy target by 2030.
Funds will go toward deploying 13 ESSs across the state including the 200MW/400MWh system, which is being built by state-owned generator CS Energy at the Greenbank sub-station on the south-side of Brisbane.
Energy Queensland is set to deliver the other 12 project that will be up to 8MWh each.
Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said energy storage was the key to unlocking Queensland’s renewable energy revolution and driving down power prices.
He said: “This budget backs nation-building, game-changing pumped hydro storage projects in Kidston and Borumba, but batteries are the form of storage we can get into the network the fastest.
“The Greenbank battery will be a game-changer in the way we operate the grid and will be critical for soaking up our sunshine and wind to feed into the system when Queenslanders need it.”
de Brenni said that Queensland’s publicly-owned power companies are investing in 430MW of batteries and the budget would grow that capacity to more than 720MWs.
Energy Queensland CEO Rod Duke said the increased number of batteries on the Ergon and Energex networks would allow for better management of the ever-increasing levels of renewable energy being generated.
Queensland’s battery blitz
Five network-connected batteries have already been installed between Townsville and Toowomba.
A 150MW battery system is set to be co-located at the 1,400MW coal-fired Tarong Power Station, which is owned and operated by the state-owned Stanwell Corporation.
In February, renewable energy and storage developer Genex secured a AUS$35 million ($24 million) debt facility from infrastructure investor Infradebt to fund the construction of the 50MW/100MWh Bouldercombe battery in the north of the state.
In March, the Queensland state government announced it would build a 100MW/200MWh storage system at Kogan Creek, next to the coal generator of the same name and a proposed renewable hydrogen hub.
The Chinchilla battery (pictured above) will be built by CS Energy and will use Tesla Megapack technology.
It’s expected to be operational in late 2023.
Battery gigafactory
In August, 2020, the Queensland government gave the go ahead for plans to build a 18GWh lithium-ion battery factory in the state.
The Queensland Department of State Development, Tourism and Innovation approved the feasibility study by the Imperium3 Townsville consortium, which includes Magnis, Charge CCCV (C4V), and Boston Energy and Innovation and National Bank Australia.
If built, the factory will service key global markets such as Australasia, North America and the Middle East by 2024.
