Genex Power will purchase 40 Tesla Megapack battery units for its 50MW/100MWh Bouldercombe big battery in Queensland, which is set to become one of the largest standalone battery storage projects in Australia.
Genex has chosen the latest version lithium iron phosphate Tesla’s Megapack batteries, which are less prone to thermal runaway than the conventional lithium ion alternatives. The Megapacks are expected to be delivered during 2022, with full operation expected by 2023.
The big battery will be built adjacent to the Bouldercombe 275kV/132kV substation near Rockhampton in Queensland and will provide key network support services to the Queensland grid, with the business case for the project being based on both energy arbitrage and FCAS markets.
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The Bouldercombe battery will also form the first part of Genex’s “Como battery strategy” with the company planning to roll out further big batteries throughout the grid.
Genex CEO James Harding said choosing Tesla as the supplier of the battery components was a major step forward for the project and would allow them to work with a provider with significant experience in large battery deployments and the Australian market.
Australian-listed lithium miners are benefiting from increasing prices of lithium amid a sharp rise in demand for the metal considered critical, and used in a wide range of applications including in batteries of electric vehicles.
