Octopus Australia has filed its proposed 500MW/2,000MWh Blackstone battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Queensland for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
The proposal was lodged by project entity Blackstone BESS OpCo Pty Ltd. and follows the company’s August submission of the 1.2GW/4.8GWh Hanworth battery project in New South Wales.
The proposed facility will sit on a 7.25-hectare site in the Swanbank–New Chum industrial precinct. The land, historically disturbed by open-cut and underground coal mining, sits directly adjacent to Powerlink Queensland’s existing 275kV Blackstone Substation.
Once operational, the facility will store and dispatch clean energy, improve network reliability, and deliver ancillary grid stability services to the National Electricity Market.
The project footprint includes 3.26 hectares of mapped koala habitat. While site surveys identified habitat resources, no koalas were directly observed. Octopus Australia confirmed that habitat outside the disturbance boundary will be retained, supported by pre-clearing surveys, fauna-friendly fencing, and a tailored Koala Management Plan.
Following the EPBC Act assessment, Octopus Australia plans to finalise operational works approvals with Ipswich City Council and execute an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract alongside a Long-Term Service Agreement (LTSA) with Tesla.
Connection agreements will also be executed with Powerlink Queensland to extend the adjacent substation with underground high-voltage cabling.
Targeting financial close in the fourth quarter of 2026, construction is scheduled to run from November 2026 until early 2029.
Initial works will include site grading, mine remediation of historical underground tunnels, and installation of a temporary concrete batching plant.
The standalone battery facility is expected to commence operations in early 2029 with an operational lifespan of 25 years.
Octopus Australia currently manages a portfolio and pipeline exceeding AU$16 billion across wind, solar, and battery storage projects nationwide.