The Queensland government’s new 10-year energy and jobs plan includes plans for 22GW of new wind and solar, and 11.5GW of rooftop solar, and also includes a new “super grid” and what it says will be the biggest pumped hydro project in the world.
Here are some of the key highlights of Queensland Labor’s new strategy to reach 70% renewables on its grid by 2032, and 80% by 2035, and to transform the country’s youngest fleet of coal generators into “clean energy hubs”.
“Battery of the North”
Long duration energy storage will be key for Queensland as it breaks its dependence on coal-fired power and, to this end, the state has revealed new plans for two major pumped hydro projects.
The first, and biggest, will formally be known as the Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro project, but at the CEDA luncheon on Wednesday Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she preferred to call it the “Battery of the North.”
Earmarked for a site 70km west of Mackay, the project is being touted as possibly the largest pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) project in the world, certainly much bigger than Snowy 2.0 in NSW, with 5GW of 24-hour storage.
According to government documents, initial studies are underway for this site and there is the potential for stage one to be completed by 2032.
Palaszczuk says that by the time stage two of the Battery of the North comes online, Queensland will have “no regular reliance on coal and be at 80% renewable energy.”
Borumba pumped hydro
Another PHES project unveiled on Wednesday is Borumba, which is located near Imbil on the Sunshine Coast. According to documents, this site has been undergoing detailed design and cost analysis, and consultation with the local community.
There is less detail on the size and storage capacity of this project, although considering the overall amount of PHES announced was for up to 7GW, it suggests this could be 2GW of 24-hour storage.
For both the PHES projects, the government has has set aside $273.5 million – including $203.5 million new funding – to support detailed engineering and environmental investigations, community engagement, and some early access works. A new government entity, Queensland Hydro, is being established to develop the projects.
Supergrid
Palaszczuk says that to deliver on the state’s new renewable energy targets, the state will need to establish a SuperGrid – “our artery of clean energy Industrial Revolution.”
The SuperGrid will comprise around 1500km of 500 kV transmission lines from Brisbane up to North Queensland and out west to Hughenden – the largest constructed in Queensland’s history, the premier says.
This “backbone of transmission,” into which the government is tipping $285 million, will open up and link the state’s new renewable energy zones and support the decarbonisation of metals processing in central Queensland.
Palaszczuk says the SuperGrid will support 22GW of new wind and new solar, or the equivalent of between 2,000-3,000 more wind turbines and 36 million more solar panels.
Battery industry strategy
One day after Victoria released its nation-leading large-scale energy storage target, Queensland says it will follow suit, with its own state Energy Storage Strategy for release in 2024, that will focus on how much storage the energy system needs.
A separate Battery Industry Strategy will focus on growing Queensland’s role in the battery supply chain. In particular, it commits $500 million to develop government-backed grid-scale and community batteries. It is aiming for 3GW of grid scale battery storage, and 6GW of household storage.
Interestingly, Palaszczuk says the procurement pipeline will include new flow battery technologies that can be made in Queensland with locally sourced minerals.
Crunch time for coal as renewables take over
To help fund the rollout and connection of another 22GW of renewable energy by 2035, the new plan says the state will boost its Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund with by $2.5 billion using coal royalties.
State-owned utility Powerlink will also invest $365 million for grid upgrades in Central Queensland, and the government will prepare legislation and a long-term roadmap on Queensland Renewable Energy Zones.
Meanwhile, the state’s existing coal fired power stations will progressively become clean energy hubs from 2027, which will make use of the plants’ “large spinning turbines” to provide system strength to the grid.
Palaszczuk says these clean energy hubs will be made up of a mix of grid-scale batteries, gas and then later hydrogen power stations and maintenance hubs for nearby government owned renewable wind and solar farms.
“That means that these energy hubs will continue to contribute to regional economies. It means we are providing workers with opportunities to stay in their communities. These sites will continue to be critical to the future just with different fuels the sun, wind and hydrogen.”
Gas, hydrogen and “no emissions gas”
According to the documents, Queensland’s SuperGrid will need around 3GW of “low to no emission gas” to generate electricity at peak times, and to provide storage, firming and dispatchable capacity.
To meet this need in the short-term, the plan suggests blending hydrogen with natural gas. In the long term, the objective is to shift towards renewable hydrogen “to provide dispatchable power.”
“This is an important insurance policy for the state to make sure Queensland can meet electricity demand
during peak times,” the plan says. It also creates a domestic demand source for a growing renewable hydrogen industry.
To this end, the Queensland government will invest in a new 200MW hydrogen-ready gas peaking power station
at Kogan Creek from to be developed by CS Energy in partnership with Iberdrola.
This asset will complement CS Energy’s existing renewable hydrogen demonstration plant and 100 MW/200
megawatt hours battery at the Kogan Creek clean energy hub.
The plan also puts $20 million towards supercharging renewable hydrogen hubs and “building awareness for the industry.”
