Premier Steven Miles, Deputy Premier Cameron Dick and Energy Minister Mick de Brenni have marked the start of construction on one of Queensland’s biggest batteries, turning the first sod at the site on 19 February.

In a partnership with Tesla and Yurika, CleanCo will deliver the $330M battery in Swanbank, Ipswich as part of the site's transition to becoming a Clean Energy Hub. The battery will be constructed on the site of the former Swanbank B coal-fired power station.

With an impressive capacity of 250MW/500MWh, the battery can store enough energy to power more than two-thirds of Ipswich for two hours each night when demand rises as the sun sets.

The project will create around 60 jobs during construction and up to 10 full-time jobs in operation.

With the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) set to arrive later this year, CleanCo plans to have the site energised by mid-2025, adding significant storage capacity to Queensland’s electricity network.

$330 million in funding has been provided from the Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund.