What is pumped hydro and why is it important to Queensland?
What is pumped hydro and why is it important to Queensland?
As part of the landmark Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, we’re investing in a range of renewable energy projects that will create more jobs and unlock more economic opportunities for the Sunshine State than ever before. A key partner to these projects will be pumped hydro.
So, what is pumped hydro, and why is it so important to the future of our state’s energy needs?
What is pumped hydro and how does it work?
Hydro is a shortened term referring to hydroelectric power – a form of energy production that harnesses the natural movement of water to generate electricity.
Pumped hydro is a renewable energy system that involves moving water between two reservoirs at different heights to generate and store energy.
As the amount of renewable generation grows, pumped hydro will help match energy supply and demand in our network in order to maintain the reliability of the system.
To meet Queensland’s future energy demand, the Queensland Government is investigating pumped hydro as a technology to store energy over days, weeks or months.
How does pumped hydro produce energy?
Energy is produced by releasing water from the higher reservoir to the lower and passing it through a turbine (a series of blades mounted on a rotor shaft) attached to a generator. The force of the water on the blades spins the rotor shaft, converting the kinetic energy into electrical energy, which can then be fed into the electricity network.
Long duration pumped hydro assets provide “deep storage” in the energy system and can supply energy over an 18-to-24-hour period, or longer. Long duration pumped hydro stores energy while renewable generation is plentiful and discharges it when there is insufficient generation to meet demand.
How does pumped hydro store energy?
When surplus energy is created from a nearby energy source (in Queensland’s case, wind, solar or green hydrogen projects), pumped hydro systems use this excess energy to pump water back up from the lower reservoir to the higher. In this way, water in the higher reservoir can be said to be stored, that is, potential energy that can be used again and again. Pumped hydro systems can store bulk energy for several days, weeks, or even seasonally.
How many pumped hydro projects are active in Queensland?
Currently, Wivenhoe Power Station is the only pumped hydro plant operating in Queensland, but development is progressing on two additional identified sites as part of the landmark Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan : Borumba and Pioneer Burdekin.
What is the Borumba Pumped Hydro Project?
The proposed Borumba Pumped Hydro Project is a 2,000 MW pumped hydro energy storage system at Lake Borumba, located in Imbil, west of the Sunshine Coast.
The existing lower reservoir (Lake Borumba) will be expanded with a new dam wall downstream from the current Borumba Dam. A second reservoir will be constructed at a higher altitude. An underground powerhouse will link the two reservoirs together. When electricity is required, water will be released from the upper reservoir through underground turbines via tunnels to the lower reservoir.
In June 2023, the Queensland Government announced $6 billion in funding to progress the Borumba Pumped Hydro Project. The total project cost is estimated to be $14.2 billion.
Pending successful planning and environmental approvals, the Project is targeting first power in 2030.
What is the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro Project?
In June 2022, the Queensland Government announced $35 million of funding, to identify a second Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) site, the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro project.
The Pioneer Valley and adjacent ranges, located approximately 75km west of Mackay, was identified as an area with significant potential for a long-duration PHES facility. This was due to its favourable topography and proximity to high-quality wind and solar generation sources in the Central and Northern Queensland Renewable Energy Zones, which could unlock large volumes of renewable energy.
Further studies are now required to better understand the impacts and benefits of pumped hydro energy storage at the Pioneer-Burdekin site.
Why is pumped hydro so important to Queensland’s Energy and Jobs Plan?
There is no doubt that Queensland will need large-scale, long duration energy storage as part of a diverse future energy system. Clean energy storage, including pumped hydro and large-scale batteries, will be crucial to secure Queensland’s energy system in the long term.
Pumped hydro storage is a critical component of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan because it will provide Queensland with rapid power generation and reliable, long-duration energy storage even during times when renewable energy generation from wind and solar is low.
Will pumped hydro projects create jobs for Queenslanders?
The two new pumped hydro projects will support thousands of regional jobs during their construction phase. Once completed, Borumba Dam and Pioneer-Burdekin will create new jobs for Queenslanders in a variety of areas, from engineering to maintenance and administration, part of the 100,000 new jobs supported through the delivery of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan with the majority in regional communities.
Is pumped hydro a new technology?
Pumped hydro is a tried and tested technology that actually accounted for 97% of all energy storage worldwide in 2020 , due to its ability to store very large amounts of energy for long periods of time.
Is pumped hydro renewable?
It sure is! When the system (which, as you’ll remember, uses only the natural movement of water) is operated in conjunction with renewable energy sources such as wind, solar or green hydrogen, it is truly renewable and produces zero emissions.
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Last updated: 20 Jun 2024