X-Elio to add 148 MW battery to Queensland solar farm

Renewables developer X-Elio, owned by Brookfield Renewable, has today announced it will add a 148 MW battery system to its operational Blue Grass solar farm in Queensland, marking its first hybrid solar + storage venture in Australia.

October 22, 2024 Bella Peacock

Blue Grass solar farm is located near Chinchilla in Queensland's Western Downs region.

Image: X-Elio

X-Elio will add battery storage to its operational Blue Grass solar farm in two stages, the first of which will involve a 60 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) slated for mechanical completion in late 2025. The second stage will see a further 88 MW of battery systems added to the project in Queensland’s Western Downs region, with this development expected to be completed in 2026.

X-Elio says the expansion of its Blue Grass project will see it deploy grid-forming battery inverters, enabling the plant to provide essential grid services to the district. It has selected technology partners Ingeteam and Narada for the project.

While the battery technology nor duration is specifically named in the announcement, the project will presumably used lithium-based technologies. Notably, the Blue Grass project will become X-Elio’s first Australian hybrid project, though the company was recently given the green light to move ahead with another hybrid project nearby, known as the Sixteen Mile solar farm and battery.

The Sixteen Mile hybrid project involves a 350 MW solar farm and 120 MW / 240 MWh battery energy storage system. It was formally approved by the Australian government earlier this month.

X-Elio has been particularly active around the Queensland Western Downs region, and is also developing a 300 MW BESS project in South Burnett, among a number of other developments in New South Wales.

“Following our 60 MW BESS project in the US and our entry into the German battery company ECO STOR, we are now continuing to implement our storage strategy in Australia,” X-Elio’s Chief Commercial Officer, Mirko Molinari, said. “This [Blue Grass] project will support grid resiliency in Queensland and enhance our solar farm’s resilience to price volatility. We are excited about the prospects of BESS in Australia and believe its deployment greatly supports grids with high renewables penetration.”

In 2023, Brookfield acquired the remaining 50% stake in Spanish-headquartered X-Elio from its joint venture partner, investment firm KKR. X-Elio’s renewable energy portfolio spans Spain, Italy, the United States, Latin America, the Middle East, Japan, and Australia.

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