State lays out pumped hydro mega project plans

New entity Queensland Hydro will guide development of a pumped hydro mega project near Mackay, while also investigating alternative sites in case that proposal does not stack up. The State Government has revealed further details of the plan, including the fact it is expected to impact about 50 homes in proposed reservoir areas. The proposal for 'the largest pumped hydro energy storage project in the world' is a cornerstone of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan released this week. Queensland Hydro is set to conduct further studies and deliver a detailed assessment for the Pioneer-Burdekin project to government in 2024. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the project, expected to cost about $12 billion, had the potential to deliver up to 5GW for 24 hours or 120GWh, given the favourable topography of the area. “That’s 617 times larger than South Australia’s Hornsdale battery and 20 times larger than Wivenhoe," she said. “The high-quality wind and solar resources across North Queensland means it could also unlock large volumes of renewable energy capacity for local industry. “This makes the region even more attractive for global investment in emerging industries like green hydrogen, green metals and manufacturing.” Related: High-voltage backbone to support transition Queensland Hydro's task includes consultation with traditional owners and the community, hydrological modelling and assessment of environmental and social impacts, as well as commercial and financial modelling. The State Government said also that Queensland Hydro would be continuing to investigate other large-scale, long-duration pumped hydro sites in the event the Pioneer-Burdekin project - 70km west of Mackay - was unable to proceed. Energy and Procurement Minister Mick de Brenni said the Queensland Hydro team was 'on the ground' engaging with residents whose homes would be lost to the planned project. "So we've already established meetings with around 20 per cent of those landowners, and those engagements have been very positive," he said. "The resumptions that are involved in this are not significant in terms of their number, and they are commensurate with the other types of infrastructure, for example, significant road projects." Mr de Brenni said the government wanted to be 'in full construction' by the middle of this decade (about 2025). He said the project, proposed to be constructed well clear of protected areas, offered significant supply chain and economic opportunities for the greater Mackay region. Related: Bowen Hub proponents ready to contribute “There’ll be a huge pipeline of work from concreting to catering, logistics to landscaping, and refuse to roadworks–that’s all before building the powerhouse itself," he said. “Our Buy Queensland procurement initiative ensures that our investments drive economic, environmental, and social outcomes that benefit local economies." Deputy Premier Steven Miles said this storage system and the other one being progressed at Borumba Dam near Gympie would act like giant batteries that could dispatch reliable power on demand. “Queensland will require at least 6GW of long-duration storage to maintain the security and reliability of the state’s energy supply into the future,” he said. “At potentially 7GW, when combined with our other site, our pumped hydro projects could deliver this. “They will store energy when the wind blows and the sun shines, and make this power available when they don’t. “Development of grid-connected long-duration pumped hydro storage will provide the market and public with confidence about Queensland’s ability to deliver reliable and affordable clean energy.”

State lays out pumped hydro mega project plans

Industry Queensland

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