The State Government has outlined its vision for a future Stanwell Clean Energy Hub, starting with a $100 million Future Energy and Innovation Training Hub.

Expected to be the size of a shopping centre, the hub would provide the ‘sandbox’ to test out innovative new energy technology including wind, solar, hydrogen and battery storage, it said.

The project is proposed to be delivered in phases at the Rockhampton district coal-fired power plant, starting with the establishment of common infrastructure and civil works in late 2023.

“This is concrete proof that the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan is driving investment and new opportunities in our region, supporting workers to be partners in the energy transformation, and capturing new opportunities to create secure, ongoing, good jobs,” Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga said.

“Last year the Premier and I committed to not shut the gate on this power station and to give it a new life, with more workers, playing a leading role in the energy transformation – today, we deliver on that commitment.”

Stanwell chief executive officer Michael O’Rourke said the Future Energy and Innovation Training Hub (FEITH) project would be the visible bright spark of Stanwell’s transformation to clean energy.

“It will increase our understanding of new energy technologies and their application in building Stanwell’s renewable energy portfolio and driving the development of Queensland hydrogen industry,” he said.

“And just as importantly, it will help us create the energy workforce Queensland needs for the future through hands-on skills development and training.”

Among the initiatives Stanwell is involved in are an iron flow battery pilot project in partnership with Energy Storage Industries – Asia Pacific (ESI).

Twenty 12m-long batteries have been delivered to the power station to form 1MW/10MWh of energy storage – the first iron flow battery in Australia and the largest in the world.

The iron flow battery pilot at Stanwell Power Station is intended to test the viability of iron flow batteries for medium duration energy storage (8-12 hours) and confirm the viability of deploying the technology at scale.

Stanwell is also partnering with Hysata to host a 5MW pilot project to validate the commercialisation potential and technical performance of Hysata’s electrolyser technology.

Stanwell will provide $3 million and supply the site and facilities for the field deployment of the electrolyser at FEITH.

In addition, Stanwell and CQUniversity (CQU) have signed an MOU and will partner to develop a skills and training program for:

• existing trades, technical and engineering roles within the energy industry to further build and transfer their current skills to renewable energy technologies for the future, and
• expand current opportunities for apprentices, trainees and graduates in hydrogen technologies and battery storage.

Stanwell will complement CQU’s research facilities with access to FEITH, enhancing the real-world applications of the research by enabling hands-on training and technology development at a commercial demonstration scale.