Qld Govt enlists Redflow for major energy project

Battery energy storage company Redflow has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Queensland energy generator Stanwell Corporation.

Wholly owned by the Queensland Government, Stanwell is a major provider of electricity and energy solutions to Queensland, the National Electricity Market and other large energy users throughout Australia.

Stanwell will collaborate with Redflow on the development and deployment of Redflow’s X10 zinc–bromine flow battery solution for use in a large-scale project of up to 400 MWh.

The signing of the MOU follows the release by the Queensland and Australian Governments of separate battery strategies that recognise the importance of medium- and long-duration energy storage and aim to progress the nation’s battery industry.

The federal government’s strategy specifically mentions zinc–bromine flow batteries as one of a handful of battery technologies that are cheaper to scale, have long cycle-life and are specifically relevant for large-scale systems.

“As a proud Australian company with locally developed world-leading technology and a recognised leader in long-duration energy storage, we are proud to be working with Stanwell as they deliver on the Queensland Government’s commitment to assist with the accelerated development and adoption of non-lithium alternatives,” said Redflow CEO and Managing Director Tim Harris.

Stanwell and Redflow will undertake a preliminary due diligence pre-feasibility study for an initial 5 MWh project using the X10 battery at the Stanwell Future Energy Innovation Training Hub (FEITH) near Rockhampton, Queensland.

The MOU and proposed projects with Redflow form part of Stanwell’s strategy to develop alternative technologies and build a renewables portfolio including 9–10 GW of generation and 5 GW of storage by 2035 to support the Queensland Government’s renewable energy targets.

“Stanwell has ambitious targets for energy storage within our portfolio, and we see longer-duration energy storage solutions such as Redflow’s as being crucial to meeting our customer demand for firmed renewable solutions,” said Stanwell CEO Michael O’Rourke.

“We already have a number of battery storage projects in the pipeline, and this new partnership will ensure the battery technologies deployed in the future are the best fit to serve our communities and customers through our renewable transformation.”

O’Rourke said that partnering with an Australian company like Redflow also aligned with Stanwell’s values by creating opportunities for local jobs and investment.

The feasibility study is scheduled to be completed in early 2025. This will be followed by a decision to proceed with the 5 MWh X10 battery project, which is expected to be deployed in the first half of 2026.

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