A Tesla big battery is planned for Townsville in Queensland with site works due to start in August.
The 4mW battery will be installed at Bohle Plains in October, supporting the transition to renewable energy, providing back-up power to the community and also expected to help electric vehicle uptake.
“Battery storage technology is the next stage in steady progress to enabling a renewable energy future and reaching our target of 50% renewable energy by 2030,” acting energy minister Mark Furner says.
“As the first publicly-owned community scale battery in Queensland, this represents an energy milestone.”
The battery will charge up on excess solar power being fed into the grid during the day and will be used to help during evening peak and temporary disruptions, including storms.
It will form part of Ergon’s virtual power plant, a high-tech control room at Ergon’s CBD headquarters. The virtual power plant has the capability to draw electricity or reduce load from contracted customers around the state to bolster supply to the National Electricity Market (NEM) during peak demand and now has access to 135mW of electricity.
The virtual plant has supplied power to the NEM 65 times since it was commissioned just under a year ago, including during the recent heatwave.
Yurika, one of Queensland’s publicly owned electricity businesses, manages the plant and has been involved in the roll-out of EV fast-charging in Queensland.
Furner says Townsville was chosen for the grid-connected battery because of the high number of rooftop solar systems and its proximity to electricity infrastructure.
“With around 20,000 residential rooftop solar systems in Townsville, battery storage technology will help ensure power quality and reliability in the local network,” he says.
Thuringowa member Aaron Harper says the project builds on the Palaszczuk Government’s $386 million Powering North Queensland Plan.
Queensland has about three other big battery projects installed, underway or planned.
