The Queensland Government is launching a second mega battery to support over tens of thousands of homes during periods of high demand.
Located onsite at the Tarong power station near Nanango, the project is Stanwell’s first 100% owned battery and will boost the site’s overall capacity to 2.1GW.
With two-hour storage and dispatch capacity, Stanwell CEO Michael O’Rourke says the 300 megawatt Tarong Battery can store excess energy when supply is high, and dispatch back into the grid when it is needed.
The Stanwell BESS is part of a diverse portfolio of energy projects, with a two-hour storage capacity for peak power times. The battery has created 80 full-time jobs and offered opportunities for small businesses and local suppliers.
Minister for Energy David Janetzki says the project demonstrates the government’s commitment for improving existing energy assets state-wide and prioritising what is needed for the future.
“Batteries for firming and storage are critical to our Energy Roadmap delivering affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for Queensland,” Janetzki says.
“This financial year alone, our state-owned energy businesses are investing more than $379 million in new large-scale batteries at existing power station sites, and $135 million to install network-scale batteries across the distribution network.”
BESS’s are rechargeable systems that store energy from solar and wind then release when needed.
Demand for lithium-ion batteries is accelerating, with a year-to-year increase of 88.52%, priced at ¥143,750 (29,450.81) as of 13 February 2026, according to Trading Economics.
As previously reported by Mining.com.au, the lithium market for BESS is expecting demand to increase three or four times by 2030-2035.
Write to Paige Furner at Mining.com.au
Images: MET Group
