TL;DR
Get backup power and energy gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
AGL has referred its proposed 500 MW/2,000 MWh Mount Britton battery in central Queensland for federal environmental assessment under Australia’s EPBC Act. The referral starts an approvals process; it does not mean the project has received approval or that construction is scheduled.
AGL Energy has referred its proposed 500 MW/2,000 MWh Mount Britton battery near Nebo in central Queensland for federal environmental assessment under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The referral is a step in seeking approval for a four-hour grid-scale storage project, not a final approval to build it.
The proposed standalone battery would occupy a 27-hectare site near Nebo, about 75 kilometres southwest of Mackay. AGL’s referral describes a system with 500 MW of power capacity and 2,000 MWh of usable energy storage, equivalent to four hours at full output. The project is planned to connect to Powerlink’s 275 kV transmission network at the existing Nebo substation.
AGL says the project could be built in phases of up to 250 MW or as one 500 MW phase. The referral documents outline the company’s proposal and its case for the project; the source report does not say which construction approach AGL has selected, or provide a construction start date.
The company says the battery could provide frequency and voltage control and help manage periods of peak electricity demand. Those are stated project purposes, not confirmed outcomes: the facility would need to proceed through the relevant assessment and approval processes before construction and operation.
A Large Storage Proposal for Queensland
At its proposed size, Mount Britton would add 2 GWh of storage capacity to central Queensland’s electricity system if it is approved, built and connected. Batteries can store electricity and return it to the grid when needed; AGL says this project is intended to support network stability and help meet peak demand as the generation mix changes.
The proposal also reflects the growing role of storage in AGL’s plans as the company moves away from coal-fired generation. AGL says it has more than 1.2 GW of grid-scale batteries operating or under construction and is pursuing an ambition to add 12 GW of new renewable and firming capacity by the end of 2035. Mount Britton is one proposed project within that broader pipeline, rather than evidence that the target has been reached.
For Queensland, the proposal would add another large battery application to a portfolio that includes other AGL projects in the state. Its eventual contribution will depend on approvals, delivery, connection arrangements and how the battery is operated—details the referral alone does not settle.
Products Worth Considering
Bose SoundLink Plus Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Wireless Outdoor Speaker, Up to 20 Hours Battery Life, Waterproof and Dustproof, Black
LEVOIT Air Purifier for Home, Pets, Bedroom, Smart WiFi
Levoit Vital 100S-P Air Purifier for Home and Pets
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
AGL’s Battery and Coal Pipeline
AGL’s existing battery fleet includes the 500 MW/1,000 MWh Liddell and 50 MW/50 MWh Broken Hill batteries in New South Wales, and the 250 MW/250 MWh Torrens Island battery in South Australia, according to the source report. AGL is also constructing the 500 MW/2,000 MWh Tomago battery in New South Wales.
In Queensland, the company’s listed battery projects include the 125 MW/500 MWh Abermain project, the 200 MW Aramara project and the 500 MW/2,000 MWh Tuckeroo project. The report says 14 of AGL’s 23 projects under development are standalone batteries. These figures describe a mix of operating, construction and development-stage assets, not a single completed fleet.
The proposed development sits alongside AGL’s generation changes. The company closed its Liddell coal station in 2023 and has stated that Bayswater is due to close at the end of 2033, followed by Loy Yang A in 2035. Those dates are company plans reported in the source, not confirmation that the closures have already occurred.
“When constructed, the project will provide local electricity network resilience through stabilisation services such as frequency and voltage control, and manage energy peak demand periods as the grid transitions to renewable energy.”
— AGL Energy, in its referral documents
Approvals and Delivery Still Pending
The federal referral is not the same as an environmental approval. The source report says AGL is seeking assessment under the EPBC Act, but it does not report a decision by the federal government, identify any approval conditions, or say whether further state or local approvals are required.
Project timing is also not clear. The material provided does not specify when construction could begin, when the battery might enter service, its final design or which of the two proposed construction arrangements AGL will use. The referral documents’ stated capacity and site plans should therefore be treated as proposed project details, not as a completed facility or a guaranteed schedule.
Federal Assessment Is the Next Step
The next known step is consideration of AGL’s referral through the federal environmental assessment process. The source report does not state when a decision is expected or describe the assessment timetable. Any decision and its conditions would help clarify whether, and on what terms, the proposal could proceed.
Readers should look for further information from the federal assessment process and AGL on approvals, project design and timing. Until those details are available, Mount Britton remains a proposed battery project; no construction start or operating date has been confirmed in the source material.
Key Questions
What is AGL proposing at Mount Britton?
AGL is proposing a 500 MW/2,000 MWh standalone battery near Nebo in central Queensland. The proposed system would provide four hours of usable storage at full output.
Has the battery been approved?
No approval is reported. AGL has referred the proposal for assessment under the federal EPBC Act; a referral is part of an approval process, not a decision to allow construction.
Where would the project connect to the grid?
AGL’s proposal says the battery would connect to Powerlink’s 275 kV transmission network at the existing Nebo substation.
When could construction begin?
The source material provides no construction start date or expected operating date. AGL says the project could be built in phases of up to 250 MW or as one 500 MW phase.
What services does AGL say the battery could provide?
AGL says the project is intended to support frequency and voltage control and help manage peak demand. These are the company’s stated aims for the proposed facility, not services currently being delivered.
Source: ess-news.com
