Allens has advised a syndicate of domestic and international lenders on the financing of Stage 3 of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners’ Supernode battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Brendale, Queensland.
Allens previously advised the lenders on the $722 million Stage 1 and Stage 2 debt financing package (covering 520MW/1,856MWh), which was Australia’s largest standalone BESS project financing at the time. Stage 3 adds a further circa 260MW/1216MWh of grid-scale storage capacity at the central node of Queensland’s electricity transmission network, bringing total financed capacity at the Supernode precinct to approximately 780MW/3,072MWh, one of the largest BESS developments in the Southern Hemisphere.
Beyond battery storage, the Supernode precinct forms part of a broader hyperscale development at Brendale, with planning approvals covering the potential for data centres and associated infrastructure alongside the BESS substation, making it one of Australia’s most significant co-located energy and digital infrastructure developments.
The lender syndicate includes Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Deutsche Bank, MUFG Bank, DNB Bank and Rabobank.
‘The financing reflects continued confidence in the role of large-scale battery infrastructure in supporting the energy transition and improving the reliability of electricity supply – and signals the growing convergence of battery storage with data centre development as a defining feature of Australia’s energy landscape,’ said partner Rob Watt.
This work builds on Allens’ extensive experience advising on BESS projects and complex energy transition financings, including advising Akaysha Energy on the Elaine BESS, as well as advising lenders on the Supernode Stages 1 and 2 BESS and Gnarwarre BESS projects. The firm also recently advised ENGIE on a virtual storage agreement with AGL.
