Queensland’s grid-scale battery ‘Big Bessie’ goes live

Genex Power's (Genex) Bouldercombe Battery Project has come online outside Rockhampton in Queensland, Australia.

With a capacity of 50MW and 100MWh of storage, the Bouldercombe Battery Project will provide ancillary services to support the transmission network that supplies power to more than five million Queenslanders. The battery, nicknamed 'Big Bessie' is part of the Palaszczuk Government's Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan.

The 50MW/100MWh battery will help revolutionize the way energy supply and demand can be managed during peak times, said Queensland Govt. in a statement.

"When fully operational at the end of 2023, the large-scale storage system will provide ancillary services to also support the stability and reliability of the transmission network that supplies power to more than five million Queenslanders."

The battery, located next to the 275kV/132kV Bouldercombe substation, is owned by transmission line operator Powerlink. According to Genex Power, the location was chosen as it serves as a midpoint between the renewables rich area in North Queensland and the load centres at Gladstone and the south.

For the offtake of the Bouldercombe Battery Project Tesla supplied 40 Megapack units earlier in March.

"Energisation of the Bouldercombe Battery Project is a significant milestone for Genex, as it marks the start of commissioning of our first large-scale BESS and will play an integral role in diversifying the Genex portfolio of assets which includes solar, wind, pumped hydro and battery storage," said James Harding, CEO, Genex.

"Given the acceleration of the clean energy transition over the past 18 months, the successful connection of the project is timely, as it will store and supply up to 35,200MWh of power per annum and enable the further penetration of renewable energy in the State."

The Bouldercombe Battery Project marks the second utility scale battery to be opened in Queensland, after the bigger 100MW/150MWh Wandown South big battery which opened last year.