Premier of Australia’s state of Queensland, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said on Wednesday her government is to move forward from a pilot test to develop grid-scale iron flow battery storage systems.
Agreement has been reached with publicly-owned electricity generator Stanwell Power Station in Rockhampton to develop the battery storage. It will be in conjunction with Queensland-based Energy Storage Industries – Asia Pacific (ESI).
In her State of the State address, Palaszczuk said: “Stanwell has now entered into a partnership with Energy Storage Industries – Asia Pacific to secure the first large-scale deployment of locally made flow batteries in Australia.
Stanwell and Energy Storage Industries are now working on an initial 150 MW battery project by 2029 with the ongoing rights to purchase up to 200 MW per annum.” This will be from 2026.
ESI’s 20 battery-pilot project created 1 MW / 10 MWh of medium-duration energy storage. It said this is the first base-load iron flow battery in Australia.
Cycling capacity exceeds 20,000 cycles. The batteries provide 8 – 12 hours’ energy storage and operating range is from 5 °C to 50 °C. The life is 25 years, and electrolyte production is in nearby Townsville, making Queensland a hub for this technology. ESI is using US company ESS Inc’s iron flow technology.
The project aims to deliver a 150 MW battery installation into commercial operation as early as 2029. This would power 50,000 homes overnight.
ESI Managing Director Stuart Parry said: “The battery at Stanwell Clean Energy Hub is the first of many that will be deployed across the state to help stabilise energy supply from renewables.” Stanwell used to be a coal-fired power plant.
ESI has already invested A$70 million ($45 million) in a facility in Maryborough for production of iron flow batteries.
The company said by the end of 2026, it will produce 200 MW / 1.6 GWh of energy storage annually and aims to double that.
