Danish renewables giant looks to buy into 3GW “Battery of the North” project

Danish renewable investor Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is looking to buy into yet another giga-scale Australian renewables and storage project, this time the proposed 3GW plus “Battery of the North” project.

The project, officially known as the Bowen Renewable Energy Hub, was first flagged in 2020 and could comprise a 1.4GW pumped hydro project, up to 1.3GW of solar, a 500MW wind farm, and possibly also battery storage and hydrogen electrolysers.

The project is being developed by Renewable Energy Partners and Bowen River Utilities, whose original plan for a big dam outside of Mackay has morphed into a renewable energy hub.

The proposal has major status with the state government, an MoU with the state-owned utility CS Energy, and is now looking to cut a deal with CIP to take ownership and funding of the project.

CIP is already a big player in Australia, with a stake in the 2.2GW Star of the South project, considered the most advanced offshore wind plan in the country, and also the big 5GW Murchison hydrogen hub in Western Australia.

The discussions were confirmed by REP chief executive Luke McDonald, who told RenewEconomy on Tuesday that the intent will be that CIP will own the project, and CS Energy will have the off take agreement.

“It’s big,” McDonald told RenewEconomy. “We like big in Queensland, that’s why we are calling it the Battery of the North.”

McDonald says the plan is to have the wind and pumped hydro components on line by 2028, which is when the market operator AEMO has assumed that the Callide B coal generator will retire.

The solar component is dependent on the pumped hydro going ahead – it will be used to “charge the pumps” or push the water up hill – although the wind component could go ahead regardless.

McDonald says the pumped hydro component – which will be built with two new reservoirs downstream from an existing dam – could be resized (i.e. more storage) to fit in with CS Energy’s portfolio needs.

CIP told the Australian Financial Review that it was considering the Bowen investment.

“Copenhagen Infrastructure IV has identified the Bowen Hub’s PHES component as one of the most promising investments of its type in Queensland and is working closely with Bowen River Utilities and Renewable Energy Partners on co-development and equity partnerships,” it said in a statement quoted by the AFR.

REP has also struck a deal with Akaysha, the battery storage developer bought by US investment giant BlackRock, to develop the 150MW, two hour battery at Ulinda Park near the Kogan Creek coal fired power station in Queensland, and another two unidentified batteries in that state.

Last week, REP announced plans for massive 600MW wind farm near Wandoan, also in the Western Downs region, adding to its list of projects that include the 500MW Wambo wind project being co- developed with Cubico, the 900MW Proserpine wind project and the 500MW Karma wind project.

See also RenewEconomy’s Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Map of Australia