Comet Energy Park is a grid-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) under development near Blackwater, in Central Queensland. It is Hadstone Energy’s flagship project in Australia.
Battery storage sits at the heart of the shift to renewables: it captures energy when generation is high and releases it when demand peaks, firming the grid and providing reliable power to consumers and industry. Comet Energy Park will play that role for Blackwater and its mining industry.
With 120 MW of power output for four to eight hours, Comet Energy Park will help firm renewable generation across the region.
Location
Comet Energy Park is located nine kilometres west of Blackwater on the south side of the Capricorn Highway. The project has been set 700 metres back from the road to minimise visual impact.
BESS Design and Capacity
Development Approval was granted for a two-stage build. Stage 1 is the 480 MWh, 120 MW, 4-hour BESS. Stage 2 will increase capacity to 960 MWh, either as 240 MW for 4 hours or as 120 MW for 8 hours.
Strengthening the Transmission Grid
The Stage 1 BESS will connect to Powerlink’s existing 132kV Blackwater substation. An application to connect to the transmission network was lodged in September 2024, and in August 2026 Powerlink and AEMO finished their Full Impact Assessment. The grid-forming inverters in the Comet project will strengthen the power grid across the region, lessening the need for new “spinning metal” synchronous condensers in the Powerlink network.
Future Solar Park
Land adjacent to the BESS has been secured for a future solar park of up to 300 MWp. Initial ecology, drainage, and agricultural surveys support that use. Future development of the solar park will be done after extensive community consultation, which has not yet commenced.
Cultural Heritage
Comet Energy Park is on the traditional lands of the Gaangalu Nations People. Hadstone Energy is committed to working with the traditional owners to identify and preserve cultural heritage on the site.
