Qld pumped hydro storage project taps Entura for feasibility study

Plans to convert an abandoned Queensland goldmine into one of Australia’s largest hydro energy storage plants took a step forward on Monday, with the announcement that Hydro Tasmania offshoot, Entura, had been appointed to deliver a feasibility study for the project.

The $280 million, 330MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Electricity Project, proposes to transform the disused Kidston gold mine in northern Queensland into a large-scale hydroelectric power plant, to supply the state during periods of peak demand.

kidston

Genex Power, the company behind the project, launched an initial public offer in June ahead of listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in July, in the hope of raising around $A8 million – some of which was to go towards the feasibility study.

There are currently only three pumped storage hydro schemes in Australia. If the Kidston project is successfully completed, it will be the third largest hydroelectric energy storage project in Australia, selling energy directly into Australia’s National Electricity Market during times of peak demand.

The abandoned mine site – situated some 270km north-west of Townsville – contains two large adjacent pits with the potential to act as the upper and lower reservoirs required for pumped storage hydropower generation.

“Entura is a world leader in the planning, design and construction of hydro power stations and we are pleased to have engaged them to manage the bankable feasibility study process,” said Genex managing director Michael Addison.

“Initial engagements between Genex and Entura have been very positive and we look forward to working with the Entura team, which has already indicated scope for improvements on the initial project design. The Genex Board will work closely with Entura to deliver a bankable feasibility study on budget and is on track to complete the work by 30 June 2016.”

Entura will partner with leading Chinese power and design consultants HYDROCHINA in the feasibility phase of the project. In November 2014 the two firms signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on the development of opportunities in the energy and water sectors.

Entura’s Managing Director Tammy Chu said: “As part of Hydro Tasmania, Entura brings a utility-owner perspective, deep local experience, regulatory knowledge and optimisation capability to the Kidston Pumped Storage project, while HYDROCHINA brings a wealth of specialist experience in the development and construction of pumped storage hydro stations.

“We look forward to working with Genex Power’s team and our partners to study how best to deliver a practical and commercially sound solution that will help bring the Kidston Pumped Storage project to life.”

In addition to the feasibility study, Entura will oversee subcontracted investigations, including geotechnical investigations and a bathymetric survey. The firm will also manage environmental and planning approvals for the project site, including specialist reports and community consultation.

In June, Entura won a three-year contract to help the Cook Islands make the transition from diesel power to renewable energy – developing preliminary designs for remote area power systems in six islands – as part of the South Pacific archipelago’s goal to use 100 per cent renewables on all of its 15 islands by 2020.

Comments

34 responses to “Qld pumped hydro storage project taps Entura for feasibility study”

  1. Beat Odermatt Avatar
    Beat Odermatt

    There are also opportunities in places like South Australia for similar schemes. If you look at Mt.Bold reservoir, it would provide plenty of opportunities for pumped storage. They also could look at the Leigh Creek coal mine which will have abandoned pits with nearby Retention Dam. South Australia has a fairly large number of suitable sites which should allow the State to have close to 100% of its electricity supplied with renewable energy. Tasmania of course has the biggest potential to become the renewable power house of Australia with its hydro and wind energy resources. In Europe, the most profitable companies taking advantage of cheap off peak wind energy.

    1. mick Avatar
      mick

      mate ive fished both those spots and noticed a fair lump lost through evaporation,also is there much water loss during pumping great idea if can work but

      1. Beat Odermatt Avatar
        Beat Odermatt

        Pumping itself does not increase evaporation but all arid areas suffer evaporation losses. However advantages such as existing dams and infrastructure can outweigh the cost benefits of new project which need new dam construction. If there is a will there is a way to do it. We have a fatalistic culture of finding excuses for inaction instead of looking at new and better ways of doing things.

        1. mick Avatar
          mick

          yep unfortunate national characteristic for the last 20 years or so I blame nanny state mentality,ive lost water pumping in irrigation agree totally regards infrastructure and also the sooner the better cheers

      2. Vic Avatar
        Vic

        They could reduce that evaporation by floating solar panel arrays on the lakes. It also keeps the panels cooler which makes them produce more electricity than they otherwise would.

        1. mick Avatar
          mick

          yep they did that at the Jamestown s— ponds great idea you would need floating bunds to slow down turbulence perhaps but doable the best part being 2 sources re cant miss

      3. Ronald Brakels Avatar
        Ronald Brakels

        Very roughly evaporation losses might be a meter a year. With about 80 cm of rain a year, rainfall and runoff from around the pits should be more than enough to compensate. Seepage through the ground might be a problem, but I would guess that would not be high but I would have to go there and lick the rocks to be sure. See if they suck all the moisture out of my tongue.

    2. Miles Harding Avatar
      Miles Harding

      In seaside sites, the daily pumping could make for an aquaculture business in the elevated lake.

  2. Chris Fraser Avatar
    Chris Fraser

    Great – there’s no doubt about the solar resource up there to fuel the pumps, how is the local wind ? Any local landed gentry getting upset ?

    1. Ronald Brakels Avatar
      Ronald Brakels

      The transmission lines would likely go by the Atherton Tablelands which has excellent wind resources. But then, really anywhere can sustain wind turbines in Australia. The air around Brisbane can be a bit dead, as you may know if you’ve spent a sticky, breezeless summer day there, but there is no need to build in the places with the best wind. Other factors can make it well worthwile to build away from the best areas.

      Unfortunately Queensland only has a token amount of wind power. So if the local landed gentry are up to date on wind power facts, they are probably upset that they are missing out on payments for having their land used for windfarms. But I’m sure Queensland’s massive coal industry can dredge up plenty of people to be upset. If they don’t go bust beforehand.

      1. john Avatar
        john

        Ronald they already are look at Mt. Emerald wind farm.

        http://mtemeraldwindfarm.com.au/

        1. Ronald Brakels Avatar
          Ronald Brakels

          The link is a bust, but if you are talking about how after four years of delay in getting the Mt. Emerald wind farm approved, vested interests are still trying to stop it, then yeah, the dredges are out in force.

          1. john Avatar
            john

            Ronald
            have fixed link
            My apologies

    2. David Osmond Avatar
      David Osmond

      This project is about 200km further west, though the connecting power lines would get much closer: https://reneweconomy.wpengine.com/2015/giant-wind-and-solar-complex-to-challenge-abbotts-coal-plans-48407

    3. john Avatar
      john

      Absolutely the sound of water is so high.
      Yes said in jest however in fact there is huge amount of infrasound in the environment all the time.
      This particular aspect amuses me because of the huge amount of noise in the every day life of all people. And they have no idea but do feel effects when they are told what they are having this is so amusing.

      1. Chris Fraser Avatar
        Chris Fraser

        Mms yes the sound of lapping water … sheer music to me !

        1. john Avatar
          john

          In fact wave infrasound is quite high as is wind through trees let alone inside motor vehicle transport. But the general public has no idea and will be lead by where ever they get their information form usually a shock jock who has zero knowledge but that is the age we life in lead by lowest knowledge people who have the ear of most people.
          Sad indictment of the stupid society we live in frankly.

  3. lin Avatar
    lin

    Time to do this in Victoria too. As this very blog published in May this year…

    “the Latrobe Valley pits (hundreds of hectares) plus the 130 meter elevation difference between the upper and lower ponds allow a world-class PHES facility greater than 1,000 megawatts to be contemplated” “nearly beneath the major electricity transmission lines that supply the Melbourne market”.

    1. Miles Harding Avatar
      Miles Harding

      Latrobe valley would be ideal with short tie-in distances.

      Size and scale is always impressive: a 20MWh store would be 2km diameter x 20m deep at 130m elevation.

      1. Catprog Avatar
        Catprog

        I get 17GWh for that one.

        62,831,853 ML of storage

        1 ML at the top of 100 meter tower has a potential energy of about 0.272 kWh

        (1km ^2 *pi) x 20m / 1m^3 * .272Kwh / GWh = 17.

        1. Miles Harding Avatar
          Miles Harding

          Good, I didn’t bother with typing in Pi on my napkin 🙂

          At about 70% efficient for a round trip, call it 15MWh of useful energy, so a large number would be needed to supply the Victorian grid for any length of time.

          1. Catprog Avatar
            Catprog

            For your example I get 17GWh not 20MWh.

            (And for amount of storage you only need to figure one way efficiency not the efficiency of pumping the water up)

  4. Ronald Brakels Avatar
    Ronald Brakels

    This is an interesting proposal. It looks like the project would need a whole lot of new transmission infrastructure built. But with a massive 800 mm rainfall, water loss from evaporation won’t be much of a problem. (of course, if there is a lot of ground seepage water loss could still be a problem.)

    Solar power is making pumped storage more cost effective as it can now be charged twice a day instead of once. First with cheap electricity in the wee hours of the morning to meet increased demand when people first wake up and head to work, and secondly in the middle of the day to meet evening demand.

    However, the profitability of the project will depend on how successful home and business energy storage is, or rather, isn’t.

    1. juxx0r Avatar
      juxx0r

      Unless they removed the old line, there’s a HV line to Townsville.

      1. Ronald Brakels Avatar
        Ronald Brakels

        I could be wrong about this, but I think for 330MW they’re going to want to make that line bigger.

        1. juxx0r Avatar
          juxx0r

          Good point.

    2. craig Avatar
      craig

      floating solar panels could also help reduce evaporative water loss.. Win, win

  5. Miles Harding Avatar
    Miles Harding

    Pumped hydro is a great idea for energy storage – there’s a lot of energy in water bodies separated by a hundred or so metres of height, the problem is always that of distance – any needed transmission lines are very expensive over these sorts of kms.

    A preliminary feasibility should be pretty easy – reservoir heights, shapes and volumes and transmission line requirements.

    It may be that this is better run at lower power levels and use batteries nearer the load to manage the short term peaks, reducing the transmission line and pump/generator plant costs.

    I would be happy to applaud projects that demonstrate a move towards sustainability in the energy sector. Enough of these and I will reconsider exiting the grid.

  6. john Avatar
    john

    Water in 2 pits difference in height that means stored energy.
    Utilise it.
    What is the problem I can only see positives.
    http://www.genexpower.com.au/projects/The_Kidston_Project

  7. Alen T Avatar
    Alen T

    I’m all for pumped storage hydro, however, what is the source of the energy generated? In other words, will the power to pump the water come from off-peak power in the existing grid, come from a newly built coal-fired station Abbott is suggesting to build up there, or from a renewable source (e.g. the 1.2 GW wind & solar hybrid proposal).

    1. Ronald Brakels Avatar
      Ronald Brakels

      Alen T, the new coal fired power station is not going to be built. Australia will never build a new coal power station. They are just not competitive with renewables. And the new one Abbott wanted was to power Galilee Basin coal mining and support services which isn’t going to go ahead. Strictly speaking, Queensland doesn’t need new generating capacity even with increased electricity consumption by natural gas exporters, but wind power and rooftop solar are exanding. (Or at least wind will expand once the Mt. Emerald wind farm gets under way after four years of political delays.)

      1. john Avatar
        john

        Mt Emerald has local opposition due mainly to misguided information

  8. Alastair Leith Avatar
    Alastair Leith

    I think Hazelwood ponds and mine are a great candidate given the existing transmission, if the transmission costs here are high it’s going to have to do well in QLD to compete with solarCST + thermal storage. insolation in QLD is pretty good and prices are solarCST falling fast. depends on the peak market projections I suppose.

  9. Ian Avatar
    Ian

    Some in this forum seem to envisage pumped storage as an energy supply solution in itself however it is rather part of the total energy management, in that it can provide short term energy supply to cover peak loads in the grid. Not baseload energy as some might suggest.
    Given the appropriate peak demand scenario that Australia has experienced in the recent past a pumped storage system could be economic. However, a recent drop in electricity demand in the last few years will likely reduce the attractiveness of pumped storage as an economic project. As solar and battery storage systems continue to penetrate the market, some of the peak demands of the past are reducing.
    However when demand begins to match supply, peak demand will no doubt provide the opportunity for projects such as The Kidston Project. A Latrobe Valley option as discussed here has to be pure fantasy as a large scale option.

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