Clean energy hub coming in Queensland
Jonathan Spencer Jones
Posted on: 4 September 2023
The Stanwell coal-fired power station is to form the basis of a new ‘clean energy hub’ to be developed over the next decade.
The Stanwell coal-fired power station is to form the basis of a new ‘clean energy hub’ to be developed over the next decade.
The Stanwell Clean Energy Hub, located close to the coast of eastern central Queensland, is planned to harness the existing infrastructure and skills to deliver a suite of clean energy options to provide the dispatchable capacity currently provided by coal.
Similar repurposing is planned for all the state’s publicly owned coal-fired power stations.
To begin the transformation of the Stanwell Clean Energy Hub, the state energy company Stanwell Corporation will build the ‘Future Energy and Innovation Training Hub’.
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The size of a shopping centre, the Future Energy and Innovation Training Hub (FEITH) will provide the sandbox to test out new energy technologies including wind, solar, hydrogen and battery storage.
It will also provide a hands-on training environment for Queensland energy employees to develop the skills needed to work on renewable energy technologies.
The project, with a value of over AU$100 million (US$65 million), is proposed to be delivered in phases over five years, starting with the establishment of common infrastructure and civil works in late 2023.
Future phases include a skills academy and demonstration centre where the community can come to learn about new energy technologies.
“The FEITH project will be the visible bright spark of Stanwell’s transformation to clean energy and our vision is for FEITH to be a catalyst for advancing the energy transformation, not just at Stanwell, but for the entire state,” says Stanwell Corporation CEO Michael O’Rourke.
“It will increase our understanding of new energy technologies and their application in building Stanwell’s renewable energy portfolio and driving the development of Queensland hydrogen industry.
“And just as importantly, it will help us create the energy workforce Queensland needs for the future through hands-on skills development and training.”
The 1,460MW Stanwell Power Station is located between two potential future ‘renewable energy zones’, which are expected to connect between 1,900 and 3,800MW of installed generation.
Stanwell Corporation also is in the process of installing a 1MW/10MWh iron flow battery at the site to pilot the technology for medium duration energy storage – from 8-12 hours – and to confirm its viability for deploying at scale.
The battery, which is being supplied by Energy Storage Industries – Asia Pacific, is the first of its type in Australia and understood to be the largest of its type globally, and is expected to be ideal for supporting and firming the electricity network during periods of high demand and low renewable energy generation.
Stanwell also is to pilot at the site a 5MW electrolyser with Australian electrolyser developer Hysata to validate its commercialisation potential and technical performance.
Hysata’s technology is based on a highly efficient electrolysis cell coupled with a simplified balance of plant aimed to deliver lowest cost hydrogen.
