For information purposes only. This image is an artist’s conceptual rendering, based upon preliminary development plans, and is subject to change. It is not to scale and shown solely for illustrative purposes.
The proposal
RWE Renewables Australia is proposing a standalone, lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) near Tully in Far North Queensland, about 140 kilometres south of Cairns and 50 kilometres from Innisfail.
The proposed project footprint is about nine hectares and is adjacent to Powerlink’s Tully Substations. The project is expected to have a 200+MW/800MWh capacity – enough to power about 15,000 homes for four hours – and is the largest standalone BESS currently proposed for Far North Queensland.
The Tully Substation is a key node supplying power to North and Far North Queensland. The Tully BESS would be a key piece of infrastructure in supporting energy storage development in regional Australia and would help make supply more secure for households and businesses.
Project location
Click on the image to zoom
We are in the development phase, with initial planning and environmental studies now complete and stakeholder and community engagement is ongoing. We are updating previous studies and conducting new studies in accordance with the Queensland Government planning law changes that came into effect in December 2025.
Construction and operation of the project would involve the following key components:
Tully BESS key components
- About 188 battery units to store electricity
- About 500 metre transmission line that connects to Powerlink Substation
- BESS Substation –adjusts the voltage as required
- Water tank – fire management measure
- Bioretention basin – manages groundwater flows
- Laydown and operations area – operations and maintenance facilities
- Landscaping and sound wall (if required) – management measures for visual and noise amenity
Project status
Development Application (DA) submitted to Cassowary Coast Regional Council September 2025. Preparing new DA to meet Queensland planning law changes that came into effect on Friday, 12 December 2025.
Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act referral submitted January 2026. Determined ‘not a controlled action’ by The Department of Climate Change, Energy, The Environment and Water (DCCEEW) in January 2026 – the project does not require further assessment and approval under the EPBC Act.
We are targeting late 2028 for initial operations.
Facts & figures
00
MW
battery storage
Power about
00
homes for 4 hours
Around
00
ha
development footprint
About
00
full-time
jobs during construction
Up to
00
month construction period
Targeting
00
for initial operations
Project benefits
Tully BESS stores extra electricity produced during the day when demand is low, and then releases it later when demand is higher.
With about half of Queensland homes now using rooftop solar, there is often more electricity generated during the day than needed. In the evening, as solar output drops and people return home, electricity use rises quickly. Battery systems like Tully BESS can respond fast, helping supply power when it is needed most.
Click on the image to zoom
The BESS will also:
- Improve grid reliability and system security through firming capacity
- Reduce network congestion and may defer upgrades by supplying power locally when needed
- Help keep power prices down by storing extra and using it later when demand is higher
- Create about 60 full time roles during the construction phase (lasting up to 18 months) and up to three ongoing jobs once the BESS is operating
Estimated
project timeline
Sponsorship fund now open
RWE Renewables Australia has implemented a sponsorship fund for the proposed Tully BESS, which is currently open for applications and will remain open until 31 January, 2027. If you would like to apply for sponsorship please download our application form here.
Complaints
Development Application
The Development Application (DA) for the proposed Tully BESS was submitted to the Cassowary Coast Regional Council in September 2025.
In December 2025, the Queensland Government introduced changes to the planning framework for BESS projects through the Planning (Battery Storage Facilities) and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2025. See announcement here.
Under this new framework BESS projects such as the Tully BESS are now assessed by the Queensland Government’s State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) in accordance with State Code 27 – Battery Storage Facility Development and the Planning Guideline – Battery Storage Facility.
As a result of these changes, a new Development Application will be submitted to SARA in accordance with the updated requirements.
RWE’s Tully Project Team is proactively working with Cassowary Coast Regional Council and the Queensland Government to navigate the new planning process to prepare the Development Application. We remain committed to progressing the project and keeping stakeholders and community informed as the project progresses under the updated Queensland planning framework.
EPBC Referral
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) referral for the Tully BESS project was submitted to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) in early December 2025. The referral was on public exhibition from 9 to 23 December. In January 2026 the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) has determined that the Tully BESS is a “Not a Controlled Action” under the EPBC Act.
This decision means the Tully BESS project does not require further assessment and approval under the EPBC Act.
News and events
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EPBC Public Exhibition Now Open
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) Referral for the Tully BESS located near Tully has now been formally published on the Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) EPBC public portal.
The purpose of the exhibition period is to enable DCCEEW to consider whether the project is a controlled action under the EPBC Act and, if so, what level of assessment may be required.
DCCEEW has opened a public comment period, during which interested parties are able to review the referral documentation and make a submission. We encourage and welcome submissions from the community and interested stakeholders.Key Details:
• Project: Tully BESS
• Public Portal Access: EPBC public portal
• EPBC Reference Number: EPBC 2025/10377
• Public Exhibition Period:
Open: 9 December 2025
Closes: 23 December 2025Please note that:
- This exhibition relates only to the Commonwealth EPBC referral process.
- Separate State and Local Government approval processes will continue in parallel, where applicable.
For further information on how to make a submission visit the DCCEEW website.
If you have any questions regarding the project or the referral process, please contact Bal Saini on 0473 351 706 or via mail.
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The formal public notification period for the Tully BESS Development Application is now open from 7 November to 28 November 2025.
Formal submissions can be made to:
Cassowary Coast Regional Council
PO Box 887, Innisfail Qld 4860
[email protected] -
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