Atmos Renewables has chosen Valo to supply the 400 MW / 1,600 MWh Teebar battery energy storage system in Queensland, one of the largest battery projects currently committed for construction in the state.
The battery will sit in the Fraser Coast region next to the Teebar Creek Substation. The site is about 60 km west of Maryborough. Commercial operation is expected in late 2028.
The supply deal follows financing. Atmos and its parent, Igneo Infrastructure Partners, announced financial close on Teebar on 2 October. The announcement also covered a 470 MW wind farm in Western Australia. Financial close is the point at which funding and contracts are finalised so construction can begin. Both projects are backed by the federal Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), a programme that supports investment in clean power that can be dispatched on demand.
Valo’s package covers the hardware and a grid-forming approval. The project will use Valo’s GridSolve Quantum2 storage system and its GEMS software. A long-term service agreement covers maintenance, remote operational support, software updates, performance monitoring and availability guarantees.
Grid-forming batteries help hold grid voltage and frequency steady, a job once done mainly by coal and gas generators. Teebar has secured Generator Performance Standards approval for grid-forming operation in the National Electricity Market.
Valo is new. It is a joint venture between Wärtsilä and RCT Solutions, and Teebar lifts its Australian storage portfolio to more than 7.6 GWh.
Other contractors are involved. Enerven will lead construction, while Valo provides the battery technology. Atmos CEO Nigel Baker said Teebar will be the company’s first battery in the National Electricity Market and its first construction project in Queensland.
The battery will deliver four hours of output at full power. It will store electricity when supply is abundant and dispatch it when demand is higher. Atmos has said the project contributes to Queensland’s legislated target of 80% renewable energy by 2035.
Local commitments were set out when the CIS award was made. They include around 100 to 150 construction jobs and a A$2 million shared community benefit fund over the project’s 25-year life. Atmos is also partnering with the Kabi Kabi People Aboriginal Corporation.
A ceremony at the Teebar site on 20 October will mark the start of construction.
Baker has cautioned that an award is only the first step. “The CIS provides important long-term revenue support, but an award is only one step.”
