AGL seeks nod for 2 GWh big battery in central Queensland

Energy generating and retailing major AGL Energy is seeking approvals under the federal government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act for a 500 MW / 2,000 MWh battery to be built in central Queensland.

The proposed Mount Britton battery project comprises a standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) with 500 MW of power capacity and four hours of total usable storage. The BESS, planned for a 27-hectare site near the town of Nebo about 75 kilometres southwest of Mackay, would connect to Powerlink’s 275 kV transmission network at the existing Nebo substation.

In referral documents, AGL said the project could be delivered in multiple construction phases of up to 250 MW each, or as a single 500 MW phase.

The Sydney-based energy utility expects the BESS to become a significant addition to central Queensland’s energy infrastructure.

“When constructed, the project will provide local electricity network resilience through stabilisation services such as frequency and voltage control, and manage energy peak demand periods as the grid transitions to renewable energy,” it said.

The Mount Britton BESS project forms part of AGL’s ongoing transition away from coal-fired power generation to a majority of backed-up renewables.

“With the changing nature of electricity demand across Australia, there’s an increasing need for more flexible generation and generation from a diverse range of sources and in a range of locations,” the energy utility said, adding that “battery storage can start at short notice and ramp up and down quickly, making them an excellent complement to higher levels of variable renewable generation such as wind and solar.”

AGL has more than 2 GW of renewable projects in its pipeline and said it is on track to meet its ambition to add 12 GW of new renewable and firming capacity by the end of 2035 with more than 1.2 GW of grid-scale batteries in operation or under construction.

The energy major already owns and operates the 500 MW / 1,000 MWh Liddell and the 50 MW / 50 MWh Broken Hill batteries in New South Wales, and the 250 MW / 250 MWh Torrens Island BESS in South Australia. It is also constructing the 500 MW / 2,000 MWh Tomago battery on the NSW Central Coast.

Its Queensland battery projects include the 125 MW / 500 MWh Abermain BESS in the state’s southeast, the 200 MW Aramara battery project, and the 500 MW / 2,000 MWh Tuckeroo BESS in the Western Downs region.

Of AGL’s current 23 projects under development, 14 are standalone batteries.

AGL closed its Liddell coal power station in NSW in 2023 and is due to close Bayswater nearby at the end of 2033, and Loy Yang A in Victoria in 2035.