The Australian arm of Spain-based utility and independent power producer (IPP) Iberdrola has submitted a 1,000MW battery energy storage system (BESS) to Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act for federal environmental assessment.
The Burrenbring BESS, located approximately 8km north of Nebo township and 75km southwest of Mackay in the Isaac Regional Council area in Queensland, will have a duration of 2-4 hours and connect directly to Powerlink Queensland’s existing Nebo Substation via underground 275kV transmission infrastructure.
It will connect to the wider National Electricity Market (NEM), which spans Australia’s eastern and southern states and territories, and range between 2,000-4,000MWh in storage capacity.
Readers of Energy-Storage.news will likely be aware that Queensland recently became the first NEM state to discharge over 100GWh in a single month.
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The Burrenbring BESS project is proposed for development on a 34-hectare disturbance footprint within privately owned land on Widi People’s Country.
According to the EPBC Act submission, the facility will feature lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery units mounted on pad formations, an on-site substation with up to six 200 MVA transformers and associated electrical infrastructure designed to Australian standards.
The project will occupy land currently used for agriculture, with access routes still under assessment between two options: one from the Peak Downs Highway and another via Burrenbring Road, which would require crossing Nebo Creek.
The Nebo Substation was established in the late 1970s. Powerlink Queensland announced in April 2026 that a synchronous condenser would be installed at the substation as part of its System Strength Project, one of four such installations planned for Central Queensland by 2029 to maintain grid stability as the energy generation mix evolves.
The submission follows a series of large-scale battery storage projects advancing through Australia’s EPBC Act process this week. Akaysha Energy secured approval for its 400MW/1,600MWh Glenrowan BESS in Victoria, while BW ESS submitted its 700MW Bannaby battery storage system in New South Wales.
Iberdrola expands its Australian battery storage portfolio
The Burrenbring BESS submission to the EPBC Act advances Iberdrola Australia’s position in the country’s utility-scale energy storage sector alongside its operational and near-operational projects.
The company’s 360MWh Broadsound BESS in Queensland began commissioning earlier this year, while the 65MW/130MWh Smithfield BESS in New South Wales officially opened in western Sydney in February 2026.
In October 2025, Iberdrola acquired the 270MW/1,080MWh Tungkillo battery storage project in South Australia from RES Australia for €295 million (US$344 million).
That project, which has secured key approvals and connection rights, is expected to enter operation in 2028 and represents part of Iberdrola’s AU$1 billion (US$1.14 billion) investment plan for Australia through 2028, focused primarily on battery storage development.
The Burrenbring project is being developed independently from a wind farm proposal Iberdrola is investigating at the same site, with separate planning approval processes and timelines for each facility.
Construction of the Burrenbring BESS is scheduled to commence following completion of the EPBC Act assessment and state-level development approvals from Isaac Regional Council. The facility is designed for a 30-year operational lifespan, followed by decommissioning and site restoration.
Interested in Australia? Read Energy-Storage.news’ Energy Storage Summit Australia coverage and related content.
