CS Energy’s Chinchilla 200MWh BESS goes into commercial operation in Queensland, Australia

LinkedIn
Twitter
Reddit
Facebook
Email
The project will be a part of the Kogan Clean Energy Hub. Image: CS Energy.

State-owned generation company CS Energy has switched on its 100MW/200MWh Chinchilla battery energy storage system (BESS) in Queensland, Australia.

Situated in Queensland’s Western Downs Region, about 300km inland from Brisbane, the project cost around AU$150 million (US$112.6 million) to construct and will connect to the National Electricity Market (NEM), to help provide flexibility to the grid.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Enjoy 12 months of exclusive analysis

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Annual digital subscription to the PV Tech Power journal
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

CS Energy worked with Tesla and Downer to deliver the Chinchilla BESS, the first operational project in the Kogan Clean Energy Hub.

CS Energy’s Chinchilla BESS comprises 80 Tesla Megapack 2 systems. The Megapack is based on Tesla’s integrated solution, which includes lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, power conversion system (PCS), thermal management and controls.

Alongside the Chinchilla BESS, the Kogan Clean Energy Hub includes the Kogan Renewable Hydrogen Demonstration Plant. The hydrogen plant includes the co-location of a 2MW solar farm, a 2MW/4MWh battery, a hydrogen electrolyser, a hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen storage, and an out-loading facility.

The demonstration plant will have an on-site hydrogen storage capacity of about 750kg. Through an offtake deal with Sojitz Corporation, hydrogen produced at the plant will be exported to the Republic of Palau.

CS Energy CEO Darren Busine emphasised the potential the project could have for the Western Downs community, sharing that CS Energy is “here for the long-term”.

“Getting the Chinchilla Battery ready for commercial operation has taken a large effort from many people and teams across our entire business, from the team at the site who will operate and maintain the asset to our traders in Brisbane who will dispatch its output into the grid,”  Busine said.

“This project, along with our other projects planned for the Kogan Clean Energy Hub, shows that CS Energy is here for the long-term in the Western Downs community.”

Tesla Megapack’s influence in the Queensland BESS market

It should be noted that Tesla’s Megapack system is being utilised across a number of sites in Australia, including RWE’s 50MW/400MWh Limondale BESS in New South Wales.

Indeed, just last week (8 August) energy storage developer Akaysha Energy said it had started construction of its 205MW/410MWh Brendale BESS, also located in Queensland. The project will incorporate Tesla Megapack technology, with Consolidated Power Projects Australia Pty Ltd (CPP) set to deliver the Balance of Plant.

11 November 2025
San Diego, USA
The 2024 Summit included innovative new features including a ‘Crash Course in Battery Asset Management’, Ask-Me-Anything formats and debate-style sessions. You can expect to meet and network with all the key industry players again in 2025 from major US asset owners, operators, RTOs and ISOs, optimizers, software and analytics providers, technical consultancies, O&M technology providers and more.

Read Next

May 1, 2025
Yarra Energy Foundation has secured funding to install three new community batteries in and around Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
May 1, 2025
AEMO has revealed that, as of March 2025, the pipeline of new standalone BESS in the NEM has increased by 86% year-on-year (YoY).
April 30, 2025
NYSERDA has launched a programme to incentivise residential and retail energy storage in the state, offering a total of US$775 million for energy storage projects.
April 30, 2025
Investor NTR has picked system integrator Fluence for a 55MW/110MWh BESS project in Finland, with grid forming capabilities.
April 29, 2025
A panel discussed the impact of CAISO’s interconnection reforms at last month’s Energy Storage Summit USA 2025 in Dallas.

Most Popular

Email Newsletter