BayWa seeks approval for giant 800MWh battery near Gladstone, wind and battery hybrid in Victoria

German renewable energy developer BayWa r.e. has filed for federal approval to develop two major renewable and storage projects, including a 200MW/800MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Gladstone, Queensland.

The Hughes Road battery is planned for a site around 12kms south of the city, a major port for coal and LNG exports that has now become a centre for renewable and green hydrogen projects.

An application has been made under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. The battery would be cited next to a Powerlink substation.

It is one of a number of other big battery projects planned for the region, including the 400 MW, 1600 MWh Wurdong battery proposed by Akaysha Energy, currently building the Waratah Super Battery in NSW.

BayWa’s application for approval comes at the same time as the company is seeking approval for the Wimmera Plains Energy Facility, which will consist of up to 312MW of wind energy generation and a BESS of up to 100MW/400MWh.

Set to be built in the north-west region of Victoria, near Horsham, construction of the Wimmera Plains Energy Facility is currently anticipated to get underway in the third quarter of 2025, subject to planning approval, with a targeted operational date of the fourth quarter of 2027.

It will involve up to 52 wind turbines with 90 metre long blades, and a blade tip height of 247 metres,

The application for approval for the Wimmera Plains Energy Facility can also be viewed in full here.

See also Renew Economy’s Big Battery Storage Map of Australia for more details.