Queensland invests $300 mn to double Stanwell battery to 300 MW/ 1,200 MWh

Australia's state of Queensland has pledged to invest $300 million to double the capacity of the Stanwell battery being set up at a coal-fired power station, as part of the state's transition to renewable sources.

The battery will be upsized to 300 MW/ 1,200 MWh from the original 150 MW/ 300 MWh, Queensland announced.

It will be installed within the Stanwell coal-fired power complex near Rockhampton, and store electricity generated from wind and solar parks and discharge it during periods of peak demand. The battery will have capacity for four hours duration, making it the state's largest committed battery project.

Stanwell will partner with Tesla and government-owned electricity company Yurika to execute the project. Construction is expected to begin this month, and the battery is forecast to come online by mid-2027.

Stanwell aims to have 5 GW of energy storage in operation by 2035. The company is currently building another 300 MW battery, but with smaller, two hours of storage, next to its Tarong thermal power plant in Queensland.

Queensland aims to achieve 80 percent renewables in the state's energy mix by 2035.