Publicly owned energy company Stanwell is partnering with Tesla and Yurika to build the giant 300MW/1200MWh system capable of supplying energy into the grid for up to four hours.

Related article: Queensland Government doubles capacity of Stanwell battery

The mega battery project will include 324 lithium-ion Tesla Megapack 2XL units which will be transported on trucks to site and craned into place.

The project was recently supercharged with a $448.2 million funding boost from the Queensland Government’s Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Job Fund, with the Premier and Energy Minister announcing in May it’s capacity would be doubled.

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 be the Tarong Clean Energy Hub.

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

“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.

Related article: CS Energy switches on Chinchilla Battery in Queensland

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

“They are a key piece of our commitment to achieving 5GW of energy storage by 2035 and highlights Stanwell’s vision for a sustainable and innovative energy future.”

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The appointment of globally renowned clean energy expert Professor Jonathan Love was announced at an industry event to launch the construction of the new Gladstone Hydrogen Central information centre that will be located at the University’s Gladstone Marina campus.

Related article: Queensland Govt approves massive Tarong West Wind Farm

As part of his new role as Stanwell Chair in Hydrogen, Professor Love will provide academic, research and strategic leadership to initiate, develop and steer a team of researchers to deliver knowledge and innovation to support the development of a thriving hydrogen and renewable energy industry, with a specific focus on the Gladstone region.

Stanwell CEO Michael O’Rourke said Queensland’s energy sector is undergoing a transformational change to a clean energy future, and renewable hydrogen has the potential to play a key role in this transformation.

“Renewable hydrogen can help achieve several objectives for Queensland, Australia, and our trading partners including domestic decarbonisation, economic transition, and new clean energy export markets for Australia,” he said.

“Stanwell is committed to driving the development of Queensland’s hydrogen industry and we are delighted to deepen our partnership with CQUniversity by funding the establishment of the Stanwell Professorial Chair of Hydrogen at CQUniversity.

“In his role, Professor Love will focus on applied research that supports advancing the hydrogen industry in Queensland, including our flagship project, the Central Queensland Hydrogen Project (CQ-H2).

Related article: Unis launch Australian Centre for Offshore Wind Energy

Professor Jonathan Love will work with industry partners and clean energy researchers across Queensland and says he is looking forward to building strong industry partnerships and further building CQUniversity’s credentials in hydrogen and renewable energy research and development.

“There are already so many exciting projects happening in the region, and I believe we have a real opportunity to establish a brand-new industry, create jobs and deliver a lasting legacy of economic growth through clean, reliable energy,” he said.

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State-owned Stanwell is working with global renewable energy developer RES to build the proposed 436.5MW wind farm 30km south-west of Kingaroy.

Related article: Ark Energy withdraws plans for Doughboy Wind Farm

The project will feature 97 wind turbines and produce enough clean energy to power the equivalent of 230,000 homes.

The SARA assessment considered an accommodation strategy for workers to ensure housing supply in the region will not be adversely affected.

SARA has worked closely with the Department of Resources to ensure that the development helps protect important areas of ecological significance including protecting up to 13.47ha of koala habitat.

Conditions have been imposed for offsetting impacts for up to 5.4ha of Koala habitat in addition to requirements to rehabilitate areas cleared during construction, to the greatest extent possible.

Construction is expected to commence from 2025.

Related article: Palmer Wind Farm gets go-ahead in South Australia

Stanwell CEO Michael O’Rourke said, “The Tarong West Wind Farm is a critical part of not only Stanwell’s plan to decarbonise our existing portfolio, but it’s critical to Queensland reaching its renewable energy targets.

“This development approval brings us one step closer to our aim of having 9-10GW of large-scale wind and solar capacity by 2035 and we are continuing to work with RES through the approval processes so we can bring this project to life.”

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Redflow and Stanwell will collaborate on the development and deployment of Redflow’s new X10 battery solution for use in a large-scale project of up to 400MWh, which will serve as a potential anchor order for Redflow’s planned manufacturing facility in Queensland.

The federal government has highlighted zinc-bromine flow batteries as one of a handful of battery technologies that are cheaper to scale, have long cycle-life and are specifically relevant for large-scale systems.

Related article: Redflow eyes fourth big battery project in California

Stanwell and Redflow will undertake a preliminary due diligence pre-feasibility study for an initial 5MWh project using Redflow’s new X10 battery at the Stanwell Future Energy Innovation Training Hub (FEITH) near Rockhampton, Queensland.

The MoU and proposed projects with Redflow form part of Stanwell’s strategy to develop alternative technologies and build a renewables portfolio including 9-10GW of generation and 5GW of storage by 2035 to support the Queensland Government’s renewable energy targets.

Redflow CEO and managing director Tim Harris said, “Stanwell is a leader in developing renewable energy solutions to accelerate Queensland’s energy transition and we are excited to be partnering with them on these studies and pilot project to further advance our new X10 product.

“With the launch of the Queensland Government’s Battery Strategy and Energy and Jobs plan, and the recently released Australian Government National Battery Strategy, this announcement reinforces the incredibly critical role that energy storage and more specifically long-duration energy storage, will play in Australia becoming a renewable energy superpower.”

Stanwell CEO Michael O’Rourke said, “Stanwell has ambitious targets for energy storage within our portfolio, and we see longer duration energy storage solutions such as Redflow’s as being crucial to meeting our customer demand for firmed renewable solutions.

Related article: Stanwell and ESI ink deal for long-duration iron flow battery

“We already have a number of battery storage projects in the pipeline, and this new partnership will ensure the battery technologies deployed in the future are the best fit to serve our communities and customers through our renewable transformation.

“We are looking forward to working with Redflow to develop the roll out of their new X10 solution at Stanwell’s Future Energy Innovation and Training Hub”.

The feasibility study is scheduled to be completed in early 2025 followed by a decision to proceed with the 5MWh X10 battery project, which is expected to be deployed in the first half of 2026.

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Related article: Queensland previews future Stanwell Clean Energy Hub

Stanwell is partnering with Tesla and Yurika to build the giant battery system capable of supplying energy into the grid for up to four hours—making it the largest committed battery project in Queensland.

The battery’s storage capacity will increase from 150MW/300MWh (two-hour duration) to a 300MW/1,200MWh (four-hour duration) battery system.

This mega battery system will be constructed within the Stanwell Power Station near Rockhampton, as part of the site’s transition to a Clean Energy Hub.

Construction of the large-scale battery is scheduled to commence in May 2024 and the battery system is due to be operational in mid-2027.

The project is underpinned by $448.2 million in funding from the state government’s Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Job Fund.

Stanwell CEO Michael O’Rourke said, “Dispatchable energy assets like the Stanwell BESS are essential to a successful transformation of our energy system.

“This large-scale battery can be charged by wind and solar during periods of peak renewable energy generation and discharged back into the grid during periods of high demand or to maintain grid stability.

“Our strategic goal is to have 5GW of energy storage operational by 2035.

Related article: Octopus snaps up Queensland’s largest proposed battery

“This project increases Stanwell’s dispatchable energy capacity and is critical to Queensland’s energy future—providing clean, reliable energy and generating employment opportunities, investment and growth for Central Queensland.”

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Aldoga Solar Farm will feature up to 820,000 solar modules with the capacity to produce 480MW at peak, and is strategically situated within the Gladstone State Development Area (SDA) on land owned by Economic Development Queensland (EDQ).

EDQ has signed a development lease with leading renewable energy company ACCIONA Energía as part of the Queensland Government’s commitment to increasing renewable energy supply, generating jobs and supporting economic growth.

Related article: ACCIONA opens community hub for Aldoga Solar Farm

All electricity produced at Aldoga Solar Farm will be supplied to Stanwell Corporation‘s proposed Central Queensland Hydrogen project (CQ-H2) under a Power Purchase Agreement.

CQ-H2 is Queensland’s largest renewable hydrogen project, which aims to deliver renewable hydrogen through different carriers to Japan and Singapore, as well as supplying large domestic customers in Central Queensland.

Steel manufacturer Orrcon, which recently opened a production line facility in Northgate, will manufacture Queensland steel to be used in the construction of the solar farm.

ACCIONA Energía managing director Brett Wickham said, “Our focus in Queensland is to keep building new electricity generation and creating new jobs within the state.

“Projects like Aldoga will help transition our energy system while providing the employment, training and procurement opportunities regional communities are asking for so they can take advantage of this booming industry.”

Aldoga Solar Farm should be operational by mid-2026, and operate for 30 years.

Related article: ACCIONA acquires Kwinana Waste-to-Energy Facility in WA

Fast facts about Aldoga Solar Farm

• $500 million project with $150 million in local procurement opportunities
• $120,000 per annum community benefits program
• Up to 350 jobs during construction
• Up to 820,000 solar PV modules
• 480MW peak capacity
• 934,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions avoided per annum

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K3W is being developed by Genex in a 50:50 partnership with Electric Power Development Co., Ltd (J-POWER). The agreement secures the offtake of 50% of the project’s output of wind energy and large-scale generation certificates at a fixed price over a 15-year term.

Related article: Genex inks offtake deal with EnergyAustralia for K3W

Genex has confirmed K3W will be the next stage of the Kidston Clean Energy Hub to be developed. This phase will utilise the remaining available capacity of the new 185km transmission line and associated network infrastructure being constructed by Powerlink Queensland for the 250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project.

As a result, Genex will no longer be pursuing the proposed up to 270MW Kidston Stage 2 Solar Project as a priority at Kidston. Genex continues to operate its 50MW Stage 1 Solar Farm at Kidston which was energised on the existing 132kV distribution network in 2017.

Genex CEO Craig Francis said, “Our offtake Agreement with Stanwell marks a major milestone for the 258MW Kidston Stage 3 Wind Project, the third stage of the Kidston Clean Energy Hub. When complete, the project will complete the trifecta of wind, solar and pumped storage hydro technologies all co-located at a single site.

“Securing Stanwell as the majority off-taker for the Project, a highly reputable entity, underscores the appeal of the generation profile of the Project and Genex’s track record in successful delivery of large and complex renewable energy and storage projects.

Related article: Genex celebrates milestone at Kidston Pumped Hydro

“The agreement with Stanwell provides long-term revenue certainty, which will underpin a substantial project finance facility for construction of the Project. Genex and J-POWER will shortly be commencing engagement with lenders as part of this process as we continue to advance the project toward a final investment decision in 2024.”

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Related article: Queensland previews future Stanwell Clean Energy Hub

ESI recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Stanwell to establish a 1MW/10MWh iron flow battery pilot project adjacent to Stanwell Power Station. The pilot will confirm the viability of iron flow batteries for medium duration energy storage (8-12 hours) and confirm the viability of deploying the technology at scale.

The duration makes the batteries ideal for supporting and firming the electricity network during periods of high demand and low renewable energy generation. Iron flow batteries use an environmentally friendly electrolyte solution to store and discharge electrical energy.

ESI managing director Stuart Parry said the pilot project with Stanwell was a first in Australia for iron flow batteries—a grid-scale and environmentally friendly energy storage solution.

“Queensland is at the forefront of battery technology development and this transaction reinforces the state’s reputation as a leader in the renewable energy economy, while also training the workforce of the future,” Parry said.

“ESI is already establishing a $70 million facility in Maryborough to manufacture iron flow batteries and will manufacture the electrolyte solution in Townsville, supporting jobs and investment in the regions.

Related article: RWE and Stanwell partner on Queensland wind farms

“We look forward to working with Stanwell to deliver this pilot project as an important step in deploying sustainable energy storage to help underpin Queensland’s energy transformation.”

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The Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen, Mick de Brenni, was joined by officials from Cubico and Stanwell last week to officially launch the project as part of the Palaszczuk Government’s Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan.

Related article: Queensland commits to 80% renewables by 2035

The milestone comes less than a week after the government announced a further half a billion dollars of investment to propel the development of large-scale solar and wind projects, and its commitment to maintain a majority share in energy generation.

The Wambo Wind Farm is backed by a $192.5 million investment from the Palaszczuk Government’s Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund for Stanwell’s 50% share in the project.

The wind farm, which will soon vaunt some of the largest onshore wind turbines in the nation, at 247m is the latest project to join Stanwell’s rapidly advancing portfolio of renewable energy assets to support the Queensland Energy and Jobs plan target of 80% renewable energy by 2035.

The project, and its grid connection, is anticipated to create around 450 jobs in construction with clean energy set to protect jobs in Queensland’s biggest industries, including mining, manufacturing, and agriculture.

Wambo Wind Farm is being delivered by two publicly owned Queensland energy companies, Powerlink Queensland for grid connection works, and Stanwell Corporation as a joint venture partnership with Cubico Sustainable Investments.

Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said, “Today marks another important step forward to Queensland’s renewable energy future—starting construction of the Wambo Wind Farm, and propelling us closer to our renewable energy target of 50% renewable energy by 2030, and 80% renewable energy by 2035.

“The Wambo Wind Farm is a prime example of the Palaszczuk Government partnering with the private sector to deliver clean energy to Queenslanders, while retaining control of the energy system.

“The power generated by the 42 wind turbines northwest of Dalby will be sent to the Queensland SuperGrid in 2025, to be connected to the state’s next pumped hydro at Borumba, west of the Sunshine Coast in 2032.”

Cubico country head Australia David Smith said,“Cubico has been developing Wambo Wind Farm with Renewable Energy Partners since 2019, so we’re incredibly excited to have moved into construction for stage 1 of the project.

Related article: Spotlight on the SuperGrid

“This is a real landmark in Queensland’s transition from coal to renewables and we’ve been very pleased to partner with the Queensland Government, Stanwell and Powerlink, which all share in our commitment to decarbonise Australia.

“Importantly, the project will play a significant role in supporting the Queensland Government’s Energy and Jobs Plan, and we are proud to be at the forefront of providing a transition to renewables for energy workers.”

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Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham was at Stanwell today as one of the station’s four 365 megawatt generation units was being recommissioned after its overhaul.

“Stanwell is part of Queensland’s fleet of efficient, reliable coal-fired power stations, and maintenance programs are essential to keeping up that performance level,” he said.

“As we ready for the peak summer season and Queenslanders en masse turn on their air-conditioners, Stanwell is ready to roll.  

“Secure baseload generation like this is important as we transition smoothly to a renewable future.”

Related article: Showcasing ATCO’s Clean Energy Innovation Hub

Member for Rockhampton Barry O’Rourke and Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga welcomed the short-term boost for local businesses as well as the longer-term energy security for Queensland.

The $53 million, 77-day maintenance program includes thorough inspection and maintenance and coincides with other critical projects, including a turbine cover-lift and an upgrade of the power station’s control system. The upgrade is expected to extend the life of the control system by 15 years.

The overhaul started in late June and is almost complete with the final stages of control system commissioning coming to a close.  

Queensland’s publicly owned electricity companies – Stanwell Corp, CS Energy, Powerlink, Ergon, Energex, and CleanCo –  will invest more than $2.2 billion on capital works in 2019-20, supporting up to 4900 jobs.

Related article: Townsville gets on board Solar for Rentals trial

Meanwhile, the 12-month study into the development of a hydrogen plant at the power station is on track for completion by June next year.

Stanwell is assessing the technical, commercial and strategic feasibility of a 10 megawatt or larger hydrogen electrolysis plant near the power station. If it goes ahead, it would be the largest plant of its type in Australia.

The post Stanwell Power Station ticking over nicely after ‘spit and polish’ appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

At Stanwell, we are always looking at innovative ways to improve the capabilities of our coal-fired power stations to meet consumers’ needs for electricity, both now and into the future.

As demand for energy and the level of renewable generation changes, our plan is to increase our flexibility to be there when the market needs us so that Queenslanders continue to enjoy a reliable electricity supply.

Flexing our generation to meet changes in electricity demand is not a new concept to us.

In the past, this has meant looking at innovative ways to provide additional generation capacity to meet peak electricity demand and to help with system security.

Over the past two years, we have been looking at how the role of our coal-fired power stations needs to change to support an increasing level of renewable generation.

Originally designed to run at a relatively constant high level of output, we have trialled running our power stations at low load and then ramping up our generation to meet peak demand requirements.

Related article: Nissan dealerships get ready for EV rollout

As more solar energy comes online, there is less need for coal-fired generation in the middle of the day.

However, we need to be ready to respond when demand increases in the evening.

At our Stanwell and Tarong power stations, the initial focus has been on testing how low we can reliably run our power stations within the existing plant conditions.

Through these low load trials, we are taking a measured approach to challenge and push the boundaries of the original design concepts of our plant.

With each low load test, we are gaining more information and refining our processes. Our aim is to find the minimum load at which we can maintain safe and reliable generation under all operating conditions.

In addition to low load, we have been also trialling the impact of ‘two shifting’ where a generation unit is shut down during the middle of the day and then restarted and loaded up for the evening peak.

As part of these studies, we will look at the impact on efficiency and emissions as well as better understand the influences of flexible operations on plant life and maintenance requirements.

Our flexible plant trials are just one of the ways in which we are working to support a lower carbon future as more renewables come online.

Related article: Maps show Australia’s generation mix change over 50 years

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Acting Stanwell Power Station site manager Angie Zahra said the power station provides a reliable and flexible supply of electricity, which is needed to support ongoing growth in renewable energy.

“The falling cost of new renewable energy means it will continue to be introduced into the market,” Ms Zahra said.

“Our role at Stanwell Power Station is to make sure energy remains affordable and reliable.

“Stanwell Power Station is one of the most efficient coal-fired power stations in Australia, with an emissions intensity below the industry average.”

In 2017/18, Stanwell Power Station generated more than 8100GWh of electricity (equivalent to 15 per cent of Queensland’s annual demand), underpinning the reliability of electricity supply to consumers.

It was also one of the best performing power stations in the country, with an availability of 93.9 per cent, compared to an average of 84.6 per cent across other generators in the National Electricity Market.

Ms Zahra said the 300 local employees and contractors at the power station were working hard to keep electricity reliable and affordable.

“We recognise we need to do this in a responsible way which balances the needs of the environment and our community,” she said.

“That is why we have made significant investments at Stanwell Power Station that have seen us proactively improve our environmental performance and capabilities beyond what we are required to do under the letter of the law.

“The power station uses electrostatic precipitators which are 99 per cent effective in capturing particulate emissions.

“This means our particulate emissions are well within our Environmental Authority limits.

“All generation units at the power station have low NOx burners which are designed to significantly reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx).”

The power station has invested in improving operational efficiencies by upgrading its turbines, so less coal is burned to produce the same amount of electricity.

“We have invested in an advanced control system at Stanwell Power Station which allows us to closely monitor every aspect of the power station’s performance,” she said.

“Our sophisticated Continuous Emissions Monitoring System monitors NOx, SO2 and particulate emissions in real time and this data is used to optimise the process and ensure emissions are well below regulatory limits.

“We use mist sprays on our coal conveyor system to reduce dust.

“We conduct comprehensive and regular air quality, surface water and groundwater monitoring to ensure our operations are not negatively impacting the environment, neighbours or the surrounding community.”

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The power station, located near Ipswich, will be fired up again as part of the state government’s $1.16 billion Powering Queensland Plan, Treasurer and Acting Energy Minister Curtis Pitt said.

“Stanwell received a number of commercial offers for gas supply following the Palaszczuk Government’s announcement in June that we would be firing the 385MW gas-fired plant back up again after the LNP mothballed it at the height of their asset sales frenzy which also resulted in the loss of 25 jobs,” Mr Pitt said.

“This strong response shows gas market players in Queensland are interested in doing business in the domestic market and have gas available and I congratulate Shell Australia and Stanwell for closing the deal.”

In 2014, Stanwell placed the power station into cold storage and sold the associated gas entitlements in readiness for a sell off to the private sector.

Member for Bundamba Jo-Ann Miller said the recruitment drive for the 16 new positions at the plant was progressing well.

“So far, Stanwell has nine confirmed acceptances and all of those are locals,” she said.

“The first of the new employees are expected to begin work here in early October.”

Test runs at Swanbank E are scheduled for November and December.

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In 2014, Stanwell placed the power station into cold storage and sold the associated gas entitlements in readiness for a sell off to the private sector.

Energy Minister Mark Bailey said firing the power station up again was necessary after the extreme record heat waves and a lack of federal energy certainty under the Turnbull government that has undermined industry investment and placed upward pressure on wholesale electricity prices.

“We can’t control the weather but we can take action now to bring the state-owned Swanbank E gas-fired power station back online in time for the summer months,” he said.

“Our ability to take this action is a result of the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to retain Stanwell as a state-owned asset. This action wouldn’t be possible under the LNP who wanted to sell of our assets.

“Because of our commitment to public ownership we’ve been able to take decisive action in the best interest of Queenslanders to put downward pressure on wholesale prices and ensure a secure electricity supply – even when demand is at its highest.”

Mr Bailey said the announcement is one of a raft of measures announced this week by the Palaszczuk Government to help stabilise electricity prices and boost supply.

“On Wednesday, we announced the government would invest $770 million to remove the costs of the Solar Bonus Scheme from network charges for the next three years after the independent Queensland Competition Authority released its final determination on regulated retail electricity prices for regional Queensland.

“This intervention will slash the QCA’s original price increase in half, delivering a saving of around $51 for households and $90 for small business.

“On Friday, I was in Townsville with the Premier and we announced our Powering North Queensland Plan, which will see $386 million spent on unlocking the region’s renewable energy resources, securing economic growth and supporting 5000 jobs.”

APPEA Queensland director Rhys Turner said the plan clearly showed the state’s commitment to gas-fired generation.

“Australia has an abundant supply of accessible natural gas; it is a cleaner and proven alternative to other energy generation methods; it is therefore only right that gas should play a key role in our energy mix,” Mr Turner said.

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