Global investment firm Quinbrook has announced that the first stage of the Supernode Battery project has achieved ‘backfeed energisation’—a major milestone which means the project’s stage 1 substation is now energised from the Queensland transmission system via a dedicated connection to Powerlink’s Southpine substation.
Quinbrook CEO Brian Restall said backfeed energisation was a critical step towards Supernode achieving full commercial operations.
Related article: Quinbrook to further expand Supernode Battery
“This important milestone marks the initial realisation of our larger ambition to create an innovative energy infrastructure campus that is both significant in scale and beneficial in its impact for the Queensland power grid. Supernode demonstrates Quinbrook’s commitment to delivering an affordable, reliable and sustainable energy transition at an optimal location in the Sunshine State,” Restall said.
“Today’s achievement is a testament to our close collaboration with Powerlink, the Queensland government-owned transmission company, who have provided us with invaluable support.
“Quinbrook will continue to work closely with Powerlink across all future stages of the Supernode Project. We are also pleased to progress the initial 260MW stage in line with our delivery plans set with Origin Energy, our offtake customer for Stages 1 and 2.”
Supernode is strategically located adjacent to the central node of the electricity network in Queensland and is one of the largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects under construction in Australia on an energy capacity basis.
Quinbrook has secured long-term offtake agreements with Origin Energy for Stages 1 and 2 for a combined BESS nameplate capacity of 520MW/1858MWh and with Stanwell Corporation for Stage 3 for a further BESS nameplate capacity of 260MW/1216MWh, taking the total installed capacity to 780MW/3074MWh.
Related article: Stanwell Battery construction nears halfway mark
A further Stage 4 expansion is also in advanced development which will host Quinbrook’s first 8-hour battery storage solution developed in partnership with leading global manufacturer CATL.
Supernode’s first stage, with a capacity of 260 megawatts, will play a crucial role in supporting Queensland’s grid stability and facilitating the absorption of renewable energy. This key development keeps the project on track to meet its target of commercial operation by 2025 and full operation by 2026.
