The Queensland government has announced a commitment of AUD 25 million (USD 17.1 million/EUR 15.4 million) to establish Australia's first manufacturing facility for iron-flow batteries, aimed at long-duration energy storage applications.
This investment is expected to catalyze an additional AUD 40 million in funding from a British investment fund, supporting a plan put forth by Energy Storage Industries – Asia Pacific (ESI).
Stuart Parry, managing director of ESI Asia Pacific, stated that the company aims to deliver 400 MW of energy storage annually starting in 2029, which could provide enough power for a city the size of Toowoomba each year.
The proposed factory will be located in Maryborough, a suburb within Queensland's Fraser Coast Region, utilizing technology licensed from Oregon-based ESS Inc, capable of delivering energy storage for up to 14 hours.
Preliminary on-site work has already commenced, with the first batteries expected to be produced by the end of 2025. ESI anticipates the facility will achieve full production capacity by mid-2029.
