Energy North Proposes 1GW Off-Grid Hyperscale Data Centre with 16GWh Battery Storage in Australia
June 30, 2026
Energy North Proposes 1GW Off-Grid Hyperscale Data Centre with 16GWh Battery Storage in Australia
Energy North has submitted a landmark proposal to Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) for a 1 gigawatt (GW) off-grid hyperscale data centre paired with 16 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery energy storage. The project, if approved, would represent one of the largest integrated data centre and storage facilities ever proposed in the country, underscoring a growing trend toward energy-intensive digital infrastructure decoupling from traditional grid power.
The proposal, filed under Australia’s federal environmental legislation, details a fully off-grid facility that would rely entirely on the massive on-site battery system to ensure uninterrupted operations. Energy North’s plan comes as hyperscale data centre developers increasingly seek to bypass grid constraints and long interconnection queues, particularly in regions where renewable energy resources are abundant but grid capacity is limited. The 16GWh battery storage component is designed to provide multiple days of backup power, enabling the facility to operate independently even during extended periods of low renewable generation.
Industry analysts note that the scale of this project reflects the escalating energy demands of artificial intelligence and cloud computing workloads, which require both high power density and near-100% uptime. By integrating such a large battery system, Energy North aims to mitigate the intermittency of renewable energy sources, potentially setting a precedent for future off-grid data centre developments in Australia and globally. The submission to the EPBC Act triggers a formal environmental review process, which will assess the project’s impact on local ecosystems, water resources, and biodiversity.
Energy North’s move aligns with broader industry shifts toward colocation of data centres with large-scale battery storage, as operators seek to reduce carbon footprints while ensuring reliability. If approved, the facility could serve as a blueprint for hyperscale projects in remote areas with strong solar and wind potential, but where grid connections are either unavailable or prohibitively expensive. The EPBC Act review is expected to take several months, with a decision likely in late 2026.
Source: energy-storage.news
