Stanwell BESS starts construction

Publicly owned energy company, Stanwell, is partnering with Tesla and Yurika to build the 300 MW/1200 MWh system capable of supplying energy into the grid for up to four hours.

The mega battery project will include 324 lithium-ion Tesla Megapack 2XL units which will be transported on trucks to site and craned into place.

The project was recently supercharged with a AUS$448.2 million funding boost from the Miles Government’s Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Job Fund with the Premier and Energy Minister announcing in May it’s capacity would be doubled.

Work has also reached the halfway mark on Stanwell’s first dispatchable energy (storage) project, the AUS$514 million Tarong mega battery project, part of what will be the Tarong Clean Energy Hub.

Construction on the 300 MW/600 MWh project with two hours storage commenced in August 2023 and is due to be fully operational mid-2025. The heavy lifting on all 164 Tesla Megapack 2XL battery units have been completed with work now underway to connect them to the transformers.

Around 160 construction jobs have been created for both projects.

Minister for Energy and Clean Economy Jobs, Mick de Brenni, said this battery project was the largest of its kind in Queensland and will create around 80 jobs in construction.

“What batteries deliver to the Queensland SuperGrid is reliable power,” Minister de Brenni said.

“When batteries like this are publicly owned it means Queenslanders themselves benefit, not overseas shareholders.

“We want to ensure we maintain downward pressure on power bills for all Queenslanders by building more renewable energy and storage.”

Stanwell CEO, Michael O’Rourke, said dispatchable energy assets like the Stan-well and Tarong big battery projects were critical as Stanwell transforms its energy system.

“The big batteries will play a crucial role in the energy transformation by stabilising energy supply from clean renewable sources, meaning they’ll be able to be charged by sources like wind and solar and pumped back into the grid during periods of high demand,” O’Rourke said.

“This will ensure affordable and reliable electricity for our commercial and industrial customers in Queensland and the Eastern Seaboard.

“They are a key piece of our commitment to achieving 5 GW of energy storage by 2035 and highlights Stanwell’s vision for a sustainable and innovative energy future.”

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