Australia's Stanwell announced it had begun major construction works on the 300 MW / 1,200 MWh supercharged Stanwell Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) near Rockhampton, Queensland.
The company said bulk earthworks were underway as it sought to convert the Stanwell Power Station into a clean energy hub through the $747 million Stanwell mega battery project.
The publicly-owned energy company is partnering with Tesla and Yurika to build the system which will offer up to four hours of grid backup. The project comprises 324 lithium-ion Tesla Megapack 2XL units.
Meanwhile, Stanwell said work had reached the halfway mark on the $514 million Tarong mega battery, the company's first dispatchable energy (storage) project. The 300 MW / 600 MWh battery, comprising 164 Tesla Megapack 2XL battery units, is due to be fully operational mid-2025. It will be a part of the upcoming Tarong Clean Energy Hub.
Michael O'Rourke, CEO, Stanwell, said in a release that dispatchable energy assets such as Stanwell and Tarong big battery were critical aspects of the company's transformation. "The big batteries will play a crucial role in the energy transformation by stabilizing energy supply from clean renewable sources…" he said, adding: "They are a key piece of our commitment to achieving 5 GW of energy storage by 2035 and highlight Stanwell's vision for a sustainable and innovative energy future."