First stage of Supernode battery in Australia achieves commercial operations milestone

Australian energy infrastructure investor Quinbrook has confirmed that the 260 MW / 619 MWh first stage of its USD $990 million Supernode battery project has commenced commercial operations and is now importing and exporting electricity to the Queensland grid and the broader National Electricity Market (NEM).

“The start of commercial operations marks the transition of the first stage from construction into operations,” Quinbrook said, adding the project will deliver “significant grid stability, flexibility and firming to the power grid, enabling the optimisation of renewable energy production over the peak and offpeak times of the day especially when rooftop solar output in Queensland is at maximum output.”

Located in Brisbane’s northern suburbs, adjacent to the South Pine switchyard that serves as the central node of Queensland’s electricity network, Supernode Stage 1 is just the first phase of what is one of the largest battery energy storage campuses being built in Australia.

Construction has already commenced on Stages 2 and 3 that are expected to be completed over 2026 and 2027 respectively and will increase Supernode’s capacity to 780 MW / 3,074 MWh.

Quinbrook is also progressing plans for a fourth stage that is expected to host the first deployment of the company’s EnerQB eight-hour battery storage solution, developed in partnership with Chinese manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL).

Quinbrook Senior Director James Allan said the Supernode project is a game-changer for Queensland and marks a significant step forward in firming and renewable energy integration which represents the future of energy storage and grid stability.

“Supernode is a case study in how technically advanced and large-scale storage can be conceived, located and delivered in Australia to support the progressive transition of our power systems,” he said.

“It is not just about scale, but about placing storage at the right location in the network and delivering long-term infrastructure assets that are purpose built to support the next phase of power system evolution.”

The first two stages of the Supernode battery, with a combined capacity of 520 MW / 1,858 MWh, will be operated under long-term offtake agreements with Origin Energy, providing grid services and energy storage capabilities to support the retailer’s renewable energy portfolio.

Origin Supply and Operations Executive General Manager Greg Jarvis said the tolling agreement “underscores the critical role Origin sees battery storage playing in supporting the energy transition.”

“The 260 MW from Supernode Stage 1 brings Origin’s operational large-scale battery capacity to 710 MW, following the commencement of Eraring Battery 1 earlier this year,” he said.

“With Supernode Stage 2, along with our Eraring 2 and Mortlake batteries coming online in the coming months, Origin’s battery storage portfolio will grow to 1.7 GW across owned and tolled large-scale projects.”

The 260 MW / 1,216 MWh Stage 3 is supported by an offtake agreement with Queensland-owned energy company Stanwell.

From pv magazine Australia.