Neoen commences construction of 305 MW Western Downs Battery Stage 3

Grid-forming batteries help reduce Queensland's reliance on costly coal and gas generators.

Neoen has commenced construction for the 305 megawatt (MW) / 1,220 megawatt-hour (MWh) Western Downs Battery Stage 3.

In a statement, the company said this will be its fourth asset within its Western Downs Green Power Hub, located on Barunggam country near the town of Chinchilla in Queensland, Australia.

This new four-hour battery will consist of 312 Tesla Megapack 2XL units and will be equipped with grid-forming capabilities. It will connect into Powerlink’s Western Downs substation, leveraging existing infrastructure at Western Downs.

The new battery is expected to start operating over the Australian summer of 2027/2028.

Neoen has also delivered 270 MW / 540 MWh Stage 2 of Western Downs Battery ahead of schedule and in time to support its virtual battery contracts with AGL Energy and Shell Energy.

With a total combined capacity of 540 MW / 1,080 MWh, Stages 1 and 2 are delivering critical grid-reliability, frequency and firming services to Australia’s National Electricity Market. Both have grid-forming inverters, helping reduce Queensland’s reliance on coal and gas generators.

Once Stage 3 becomes operational, Neoen’s Western Downs Battery will contribute a combined total of 845 MW / 2.3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of storage capacity in support of the state’s energy transition.

The announcement brings Neoen’s total battery storage capacity in Australia to 2 gigawatts / 6.4 GWh in operation or under construction in Australia, making it the country’s largest owner and operator of big batteries.