Construction of ESI’s Maryborough manufacturing plant for grid-scale batteries began in September 2024. The $70 million facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

Construction of the facility is supported by a $25 million investment from the Queensland Government and $40 million from a UK-based investment fund.

Wide Bay-Burnett company IDC Construct is the lead construction contractor, supported by a range of suppliers and contractors based in the region.

When fully operational by mid-2029, the plant will deliver 400 megawatts of energy storage annually – enough to power a town the size of Toowoomba. It will also have created up to 273 full-time jobs.

Key components for the batteries will be sourced from throughout regional Queensland. This includes manufacture of the medium of energy storage in iron flow batteries, called electrolyte, in a joint venture with Townsville’s Cleveland Bay Chemical Company.

The iron flow batteries manufactured in Maryborough will enable large-scale energy storage for wholesale electricity generators, energy retailers, and commercial and industrial customers.

Follow our timelapse gallery below for the latest construction milestones at Australia’s first grid-scale battery manufacturing plant.