Stanwell begins work on huge 1200MWh mega battery as it starts transformation of major coal hub

Construction has begun in Queensland on the 300 MW/1,200 MWh Stanwell mega battery project, which the state-owned generation company marks the start of the transformation of the major coal centre into a green energy hub.

Stanwell said on Tuesday that earthworks are now underway on the $747 million Stanwell mega battery project while work has also reached the halfway mark on another landmark project, the 300 MW/600 MWh Tarong mega battery project at the site of another coal generator that is due for closure.

The Stanwell battery will include 324 lithium-ion Tesla Megapack 2XL units and is one of eight major battery projects now under construction in Queensland, adding to the three that are already operating at Wandoan, Bouldercombe and Chinchilla.

“This battery project is the largest of its kind in Queensland and will create around 80 jobs in construction,” said Mick de Brenni, Queensland minister for energy and clean economy jobs.

“What batteries deliver to the Queensland SuperGrid is reliable power. When batteries like this are publicly owned it means Queenslanders themselves benefit, not overseas shareholders. We want to ensure we maintain downward pressure on power bills for all Queenslanders by building more renewable energy and storage.”

The Stanwell mega battery project recently received a significant financial boost from the Queensland government, which poured $448.2 million from its Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Job Fund in May to double the battery’s capacity to its current configuration.

At the same time, work has also reached the halfway mark on Stanwell’s first dispatchable energy storage project, the $514 million Tarong mega battery project, part of what will eventually become the larger Tarong Clean Energy Hub.

Located at Stanwell’s Tarong Power Stations in the south-east of Queensland, construction began in August of 2023 and is due to be fully operational by mid-2025. When finished, the Tarong battery will consist of 164 Tesla Megapack 2XL battery units for a combined capacity of 300MW/600MWh.

The two projects are part of a planned 5 gigawatt investment by Stanwell to completely transform its fossil fuel generators towards renewables and storage, and green hydrogen. It is also investing in several major wind and solar generation projects.

“Dispatchable energy assets like our Stanwell and Tarong big battery projects are critical as we transform our energy system,” said Michael O’Rourke, the Stanwell CEO.

“The big batteries will play a crucial role in the energy transformation by stabilising energy supply from clean renewable sources, meaning they’ll be able to be charged by sources like wind and solar and pumped back into the grid during periods of high demand.

“This will ensure affordable and reliable electricity for our commercial and industrial customers in Queensland and the Eastern Seaboard.”

According to Queensland’s 80 per cent by 2035 renewables timeline, the Stanwell, Tarong, and Callide coal generators are all expected to move to “phase one” of their wind down starting in 2026/27, at which point they will operate only at peak times and progressively operate only as “syncons”, if needed.