World’s first pumped storage hydro project to utilise an abandoned gold mine

The project has the potential to generate up to 250MW of rapid response, emissions-free flexible power for delivery into Australia’s National Electricity Market. It is moving into the construction phase late May 2021 after recently receiving approval from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). And because it’s a world first, the project has taken some specialised design to secure the financial backing of AUD47 million from ARENA and AUD610 million from Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility.

The GHD – Mott MacDonald Joint Venture will deliver all design services to the EPC contractor McConnell Dowell – John Holland Joint Venture.

“Our Joint Venture teams have been working together with Genex in the early development phases of the project and continuation of this proven collaborative relationship will play an important part in the successful delivery of the project,” says Craig Berry, GHD’s Project Director.

Minimising environmental impacts and benefiting from the storages created by the mine, the project is repurposing the former gold mine site and turning two existing pits at the mine into lower and upper reservoirs for water to be stored, integrating with the already built Kidston Solar Power Plant.

During the day, solar electricity generated from the solar plants will be used to pump water for the lower to the upper reservoir. This water will be released from the upper to the lower reservoir during peak electricity demand periods generating dispatchable electricity. And each evening grid power will also be used to pump water into the upper reservoir storing electricity to dispatch during peak demands.