Projects

Blackstone Battery
Energy Storage

Firm Power is proposing to develop a 400MW/800MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) adjacent to the existing 275kV Blackstone Substation along Swanbank Coal Road in Swanbank, Queensland. The location is approximately 10 kilometres south-east of Ipswich and 45 kilometres south-west of Brisbane.

When operational, the Blackstone BESS will help meet the current and future energy demand needs of Queensland whilst supporting the national energy market transition by:

Enabling greater amounts of renewable energy to be conveyed to Queensland’s homes and businesses,
Managing energy peak demand periods without requiring fossil fuel based generation, and
Offering local electricity grid resilience through stabilisation services such as frequency and voltage control.

The project will generate a range of jobs throughout its construction, procurement, operations and maintenance phases, with indirect impacts extending to local supply chains including accommodation, vehicle servicing, catering and cleaning, tradespersons, tool and equipment suppliers, and many other businesses.

Development Status

The Blackstone BESS is currently at an early stage of development with land secured and the initial phases of planning and grid connection underway. The development phase of the project is expected to be completed in early 2023.

Site

The Project site is predominantly open, developed land within an industrial precinct and serviced by established roadways facilitating easy access.

Key Infrastructure

The Project will involve the installation of the following equipment:

Batteries in which to store the energy; these look like modular shipping containers.
Inverters and transformers, that convert the electricity in the batteries into the type of electricity used by our national energy market.
Electrical switchgear and metering, to ensure the safe operation of the batteries & inverters and ongoing connection of the project to the energy market operator.
Site administration buildings to ensure amenities for technicians managing the long term operations and maintenance of the project.

Timeline

The proposed Blackstone Project development will be assessed by Ipswich City Council and is currently in the early stages of this process.

As part of its stakeholder engagement, Firm Power intends to consult with the community and will take into account community feedback as part of its planning and environmental impact statements to be prepared and lodged with Council in 2023.