The Australian arm of Spain-based utility and independent power producer (IPP) Iberdrola has added its 360MWh Broadsound battery energy storage system (BESS) to the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO’s) Market Management System (MMS).
The 180MW/360MWh facility, designated BRDDBES1 in AEMO’s system, has commenced testing and commissioning at Clarke Creek, located 130km northwest of Rockhampton and 220km northwest of Gladstone.
According to energy market analyst Geoff Eldridge of consultancy Global Power Energy, the battery system’s market entry follows closely behind its co-located 296MWac Broadsound Solar Farm, which entered the MMS on 24 December 2025, and is currently progressing through its own commissioning sequence.
The Broadsound BESS operates with a maximum power output of 180MW. However, it maintains a registered output of 240MW with AEMO and features a ramp rate of 72MW per minute, enabling rapid response to grid frequency and stability requirements.
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Broadsound encompasses approximately 2,100 acres of predominantly cleared cattle grazing land. The development utilises approximately 645,000 solar PV modules with tracking systems, alongside the substantial battery installation that now provides critical grid stability services to the Queensland network.
Construction on the solar-plus-storage project started in September 2024.
Queensland leads Australia’s energy storage expansion
The commissioning of Broadsound BESS contributes to what has become a remarkable year for large-scale battery storage deployment already across Australia.
According to market data, the current financial year has seen 4,122MW of battery energy storage added to the National Electricity Market (NEM), with Queensland leading the expansion at 1,410MW.
New South Wales follows with 1,253MW, Victoria with 1,240MW, and South Australia contributes 219MW.
This growth trajectory places Broadsound alongside other Queensland storage assets that have recently entered operations, including the 619MWh Supernode BESS, which commenced market operations on 17 February, and the 500MWh Swanbank BESS, which entered the system on 14 October.
Queensland’s leadership role in the expansion of energy storage systems may come as somewhat of a surprise to many, especially amid the current state government’s policy shift away from renewables and storage, led by Premier David Crisitfuli.
Indeed, Queensland’s attractiveness to renewable energy investors has declined following policy shifts under the Crisafulli government, which took office in 2024.
The state was once the leader in renewable energy investment across Australia’s states. Still, since the current government took office, investor confidence has dropped as renewables and energy storage projects wrestle with stricter regulations.
The state government has enshrined strict planning rules for solar PV, wind, and energy storage into law, creating additional hurdles for project development and contributing to uncertainty in the investment environment.
Iberdrola Australia continues its expansion of energy storage across Australia. The organisation previously opened a 130MWh battery storage system in Western Sydney in February.
Additionally, Iberdrola acquired the 1GWh Tungkillo battery storage project in South Australia from RES Group last year. The 4-hour duration BESS project adds to Iberdrola’s expanding Australian portfolio as the company pursues its plan to invest €1 billion (US$1.16 billion) in battery storage projects across the country by 2028.
Interested in Australia? Read Energy-Storage.news’ Energy Storage Summit Australia coverage and related content.
