Quinbrook Secures A$469 Million for Supernode Battery Expansion

The project, spearheaded by Quinbrook and supported by core supplier CATL, has now secured approximately A$1.2 billion in total financing across its first three stages. Stage 2 has officially entered commercial operation, meeting delivery targets despite the technical hurdles inherent in utility-scale energy storage. The campus sits adjacent to the South Pine substation, a strategic location that provides 4,000MW of connection capacity and favorable marginal loss factors for the Queensland power grid.

Technological consistency remains a priority for the build-out. While Stages 1 and 2 utilize CATL’s EnerC Plus liquid-cooled systems, Stage 3 will integrate the newer TENER S platform. These units allow for high-density, back-to-back installation, shrinking the required footprint by roughly 20% compared to previous iterations. Beyond hardware, a Long-Term Service Agreement ensures that CATL manages condition monitoring and preventive maintenance for the duration of the asset's lifecycle.

Tim Hornemand, Quinbrook’s managing director for Australia, noted that the successful commissioning of the Origin-contracted stages validates the project's delivery model. Looking ahead, the partners are evaluating an eight-hour storage solution dubbed EnerQB for future expansion, aiming to further stabilize the regional grid as Queensland accelerates its transition toward renewable energy sources.