Australia’s first wind, solar and hydro storage project just got a lot bigger

The wind component of Australia’s biggest hybrid energy project combining wind, solar and pumped hydro has been increased by nearly one third after choosing large turbines from China-based supplier Goldwind.

Genex Power says the wind component of the Kidston Clean Energy Hub in north Queensland will be expanded from 200MW to 258MW, adding to the 250MW, eight hour pumped hydro facility currently under production and the existing 50MW solar farm.

Genex says the decision to expand the size of the stage 3 wind project followed a detailed study of its options and came as the joint developer – Genex and Japan’s J-Power – chose to use 6MW turbines supplied by Goldwind

“We are … delighted to announce an increase in capacity of the project from up to 200MW to up to 258MW,” the company said in a statement. “Overall, the project will utilise 43 Goldwind turbines, each sized at 6MW.”

Work has already begun on the grid connection for the project, and Genex says it is hoping to secure a contractor  deal in the first three months of next year, and reach financial close at the end of the year.

The 50MW Kidston solar farm is one of the country’s best performing solar facilities, and the pumped hydro project – the first to be built in Australia in nearly four decades – is being built at site of the nearby disused gold mine.

The storage facility is expected to be energised at the end of 2024, and Genex is confident it will be complete on time despite some significant geological problems that have added costs to the project.

In its most recent update on the project it warned that the total cost might exceed the budget by up to $15 million, forcing it to dip into its cash reserves.

“Our Kidston Stage 3 Wind Project is the final piece of our flagship Kidston Clean Energy Hub which will comprise of solar, hydro and wind generation,” CEO James Harding said in a statement.

“The project will connect into the new transmission line being constructed by Powerlink for the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project which is expected to be energised in 2H CY24, ahead of the completion of the Kidston Stage 3 Wind Project.”

Genex is the subject of an agreed takeover led by the private interests of tech billionaire Scott Farquhar, the co-founder of Atlassian with Mike Cannon-Brookes.