UGL has been appointed a works package to design and construct the second stage of the Western Downs Battery in Queensland.
The contract, which is for renewable energy producers Neoen, consists of the installation of a 270 MW / 540 MWh Battery Energy Storage System and the high voltage infrastructure to connect it to the grid at Neoen’s Western Downs Green Power Hub.
The BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) will consist of 140 Tesla Megapack 2XL units and is expected to start operations in 2026.
UGL is also currently constructing the first stage of the Western Downs Battery (also sized at 270 MW/540 MWh), which is expected to start operations later this year.
Following construction, both batteries will work alongside Neoen’s 460 MWp Western Downs solar farm at the same site and allow stored energy to be transmitted into the electricity network.
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Neoen also has a history of completing battery projects in Australia. The company’s 150 MW Hornsdale Power Reserve, more commonly as the ‘Tesla Big Battery’, has been keeping in operation in South Australia since 2017. Its 300 MW Victorian Big Battery, currently in operation near Geelong, is one of the world’s largest batteries.
CIMIC Executive Chairman Juan Santamaria said the company was excited to further contribute to what will be Queensland’s most powerful battery.
“With greater capacity, Western Downs Battery will have an even more crucial role in Queensland’s rapidly accelerating energy transition, as the state strives to reach 80 per cent renewable energy by 2035,” Santamaria said.
UGL will commence work on the project in the coming weeks, with an aim to commence operations in 2026.