Queensland seeks local manufacturers to build state’s renewable energy “supergrid”

Queensland is looking for local manufacturers to build its “supergrid” and ambitious renewable energy rollout, with a plan to set up new local clean technologies supply chains.

Last week the state announced a plan to invest $62 billion of Queenslanders’ cash into wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, transmission lines, and the biggest pumped hydro project in the world.

It is aiming to switch its energy supply from coal to 80 per cent renewables by 2035, partially funded by coal royalties.

Over the next 13 years the state will need more than 2,000 wind towers and nacelles (the cover housing the electronic parts of a wind turbine), 7,000 wind tower blades, 25 million solar PV modules, and 7,000 batteries, according to a government statement.

The Queensland Treasury Corporation (QTC) is conducting a market sounding process to assess how much capacity the state already has to do this work locally, and how ready Queensland businesses are to undertake it, with a report due in march 2023.

The government will issue requests for proposals from local businesses later in 2023.

The state is keen to launch what it calls “an industrial scale manufacturing revolution”, says Queensland energy minister Mick de Brenni.

“$62 billion means a step change investment in wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, pumped hydro equipment and transmission lines,” the minister said on Tuesday.

“And because so much of it will be procured by Queensland government-owned corporations, we get the chance to use our purchasing power to drive local manufacturing, which means even more local jobs.

“We’ve already backed the construction of a hydrogen electrolyser plant in central Queensland and we’re keen to get moving on batteries, transmission, electric vehicle, wind and solar farm component manufacturing too,” de Brenni said.

RenewEconomy is seeking comment about whether the government will impose a local quota on manufacturing and construction for the 13-year plan.

Supercharging renewables with a supergrid

The largest in the list of projects that will help Queensland shift from coal to clean is the Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro project with 5GW of 24-hour storage, located 75km from Mackay – although the earliest completion date is a distant 2032.

A pumped hydro project near Imbil on the Sunshine Coast could have as much as 2GW of 24-hour storage.

The government has budgeted $273.5 million for both projects and is setting up a new organisation, Queensland Hydro, to develop them, and is spending about $500 million on 3GW of grid-scale and 6GW of household batteries.

The state will spend $285 million on 1500km of new transmission lines to handle an expected 22GW of new wind and solar power and 11.5GW of rooftop solar.

The government also wants to include hydrogen in the mix, company-investing in a new 200MW hydrogen-ready gas peaking power station alongside CS Energy.