Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners is set to start work on a AU$2.5 billion ($1.7bn) data center campus in Queensland, Australia.
The first phase of development at the campus, known as Supernode, will see a 250MW battery energy storage system (BESS) installed at the site. The BESS will be capable of storing surplus solar and wind energy so that it can be used by Australia’s grid when required.
Power company Origin Energy has agreed to use the full capacity of the BESS, signing what investment manager Quinbrook describes as a “long-term offtake contract," enabling the project to get underway.
The 30-hectare site in Moreton Bay, Queensland, will eventually be home to four hyperscale data centers, Quinbrook said.
David Scaysbrook, co-founder and managing partner of Quinbrook said the news was “significant” for Queensland as the Supernode campus will deliver “valuable large-scale storage at the best possible location in the State’s power grid.”
Scaysbrook said: “Supernode also directly addresses stability issues facing the grid as a result of record levels of rooftop solar installation across Queensland.
“The site is a unique and strategic location offering unparalleled power supply access and redundancy and is a testament to Quinbrook’s ability to source, fund, and develop innovative projects for the benefit of our investors and provide tangible solutions to decarbonize power systems.
“Origin shares our commitment to lead the energy transition through creative and market-leading projects and we look forward to our Supernode partnership.”
The BESS system is set to be up and running by 2025 and will cost Quinbrook AU$325 million ($212m).
The company has not provided any further updates on the data center portion of the project. When the project was announced in 2022, Quinbrook said it had already received interest from operators looking to take space at the facility.
Quinbrook manages investments in renewable energy and data centers across Australia, the UK, and the US. It is in control of assets worth AU$12.57 billion ($8.2bn).
