Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, a specialist investment manager focused on energy and digital transition infrastructure, has completed construction and commenced commercial operations at Stage 2 of its Supernode battery energy storage system (BESS) in Queensland, Australia.
In doing so, the combined Supernode Stages 1 and 2 now make it the largest operational battery storage system in Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM), with a nameplate size of 520MW/1,858MWh.
Stage 2 is now operating under a long-term tolling agreement with Origin Energy, Australia’s largest integrated energy company, and delivers the second of two Origin-contracted stages on the project’s original completion schedule.
Alongside the Stage 2 announcement, Quinbrook has also confirmed that Stage 3 has reached financial close on an additional AU$469 million (US$309 million) in debt financing, bringing total project financing across the Supernode complex to approximately AU$1.2 billion.
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Tim Horneman, managing director and Australia regional lead at Quinbrook, said the on-schedule delivery of both Origin-contracted stages reflected the complexity of the task.
“Achieving commercial operations for Stage 2 means we’ve successfully delivered both Origin-contracted stages on schedule, an outcome we’re incredibly proud of given the complexity of commissioning utility-scale battery storage projects in Australia,” he said.
“With Stage 3 now fully financed, we’ve reached another important milestone in Supernode’s continuing development.”
Stage 1 of the Supernode project commenced commercial operations in February 2026, with the 260MW/619MWh facility delivering output to the Queensland grid under the same 12-year tolling arrangement with Origin.
At the time, Origin’s executive general manager of energy supply and operations, Greg Jarvis, noted that Supernode Stage 1 brought the company’s operational large-scale battery capacity to 710MW, with its total owned and tolled battery portfolio expected to reach 1.7GW once further projects, including Eraring Two and Mortlake, came online.
The Supernode facility is located at the South Pine substation in Brendale, in the Moreton Bay area north of Brisbane, adjacent to the central node of Queensland’s electricity transmission network.
According to Quinbrook co-founder David Scaysbrook, approximately 80% of Queensland’s traded electricity flows through this point each day, a characteristic that supports the project’s commercial proposition and its capacity to provide grid stability and firming across the state.
Stage 3 financing and future pipeline
The Stage 3 debt package builds on the AU$722 million financing closed in January 2025 for Stages 1 and 2, which was arranged through a consortium including Bank of America, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Deutsche Bank, Mizuho Bank and MUFG Bank.
The Stage 3 package retains Commonwealth Bank, MUFG and Deutsche Bank, and adds new lending partners DNB and Rabobank.
Quinbrook said financing terms improved on the earlier facilities, reflecting its growing track record in developing, constructing and financing utility-scale battery storage in Australia, alongside the strength of Stage 3’s 15-year offtake agreement.
That offtake agreement, a 1,010MWh deal signed with Queensland government-owned energy company Stanwell Corporation in April 2025, covers all capacity in Stage 3 and was the arrangement that enabled the third stage to proceed to construction.
The deal gave Quinbrook a fully contracted project across all three stages, with Origin holding the Stage 1 and 2 tolling agreements and Stanwell contracted for Stage 3.
Looking further ahead, Quinbrook has announced plans for a Stage 4 expansion that will introduce a new long-duration technology to the site.
In partnership with Chinese battery manufacturer CATL, Quinbrook unveiled its EnerQB product in March 2025, an 8-hour duration BESS solution designed for markets with high year-round solar generation.
Quinbrook said it intends to deploy approximately 3GW of EnerQB technology across Australia, equivalent to 24GWh of storage capacity, with the Supernode site serving as the initial deployment location.
The company has framed the technology as a cost-competitive alternative to pumped hydro storage in the Queensland context, particularly following the Queensland government’s cancellation of the 5GW Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro project in late 2024.
When fully built out across its first three stages, Supernode will have a combined system size of 780MW/3,074MWh.
Quinbrook was advised on the Stage 3 financing by ICA Partners, King & Wood Mallesons and Aurecon, while lenders were advised by Allens, RINA, Lockton Companies Australia, KPMG and Aurora Energy Research.
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