Project developer Octopus Australia has submitted the Blackstone battery energy storage system (BESS), a standalone 500 MW/2,000 MWh facility, to Australia’s federal government for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. The proposed designated proponent is Blackstone BESS OpCo Pty Ltd, a trust entity fully owned by Octopus Australia. The Blackstone project is planned for Swanbank, Queensland, with a direct connection to the state’s 275 kV transmission network through underground cables connecting to the Blackstone substation.
Following the referral, the project must still secure operational works approvals from Ipswich City Council, complete financing to reach financial close, and finalize engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and long-term service agreement (LTSA) contracts with Tesla, as well as connection and access agreements with transmission operator Powerlink Queensland (Energy-storage news, 08/09/2026).
According to the submitted document, construction is expected to begin in November 2026 and run through the first quarter of 2029. The project is expected to operate for approximately 25 years, until the first quarter of 2054, with decommissioning anticipated in the second quarter of 2054.
The referral comes after Octopus Australia submitted the 1.2 GW/4.8 GWh Hanworth Battery Project in New South Wales in August 2026 (KEI, 31/08/2026).