Project timeline

Blackstone BESS is uniquely located in what used to be a coal mining, and coal power precinct within the Ipswich Local Government Area (Swanbank). The project site is located adjacent to the existing Blackstone Substation, allowing connection to existing electricity infrastructure.

Under the Queensland Planning Act 2016 and Planning Regulation 2017, a comprehensive set of environmental assessments for the proposed Blackstone BESS were undertaken and submitted to Ipswich City Council (ICC) as the local government assessment manager, and State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA).

Following review of all assessments against Queensland planning and development framework, the Blackstone BESS was approved by both SARA and Ipswich City Council (ICC) on 03 June 2024.

Development approval includes several conditions of approval by ICC and SARA which are required to be completed prior to commencement of construction (and or operations).

Construction of the project is expected to last approximately 18-24 months. The main construction activities will cover:

• Early works and design
• Major civil works
• Installation of BESS units, inverters and other supporting equipment
• Cabling works
• Substations works
• Connection of the project to the existing Powerlink Blackstone Substation
• Testing and commissioning of the project.

The expected operational life of the Blackstone BESS is 20 years. During this period, there will be a mixture of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance to ensure that the project performs as intended.

Towards the end of project life, considerations may be made to further extend the asset life through replacement of BESS units, also known as “repowering”. If repowering were to occur, an entirely new development application would need to be submitted to local and state government planning authorities for approval, which will include community consultation.

At the end of the Project’s life, decommissioning and rehabilitation of the site would be undertaken by the asset owner. The objective of decommissioning would be to return the land to as close to its pre-construction condition as possible.