World's largest hydro scheme included in $62bn QLD Energy & Jobs Plan

Queensland is set to be home to the world’s largest pumped hydro scheme as the Premier announces the plan for a clean energy future for the State. 

The $62 billion Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan aims to deliver a SuperGrid comprised of renewable energy sources, storage systems and a network of infrastructure required to power industries, homes and businesses in Queensland. 

“This plan is all about cheaper, cleaner and secure energy for Queenslanders. 

“It is about turbo-charging new investment in new minerals, batteries and manufacturing. 

“Renewable energy is the cheapest form of new energy. 

“This plan makes Queensland the renewable energy capital of the world. 

“It also takes real and decisive action on climate change providing the biggest commitment to renewable energy in Australia’s history,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said. 

The Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan will include: 

• 70% of Queensland’s energy supply from renewables by 2032 
• 80% by 2035 
• Two new pumped hydros at Pioneer/Burdekin and Borumba Dam by 2035 
• A new Queensland SuperGrid connecting solar, wind, battery and hydrogen generators across the State 
• Unlocking 22GW of new renewable capacity – giving 8 times the current level 
• Publicly owned coal-fired powered station to convert to clean energy hubs to transition to, for example, hydrogen power, with jobs guarantees for workers 
• Queensland’s publicly owned coal-fired power stations to stop reliance on burning coal by 2035 
• 100,000 new jobs by 2040, most in regional Queensland 
• 11.5GW of rooftop solar and 6GW of embedded batteries 
• 95% of investment in regional Queensland 
• Building Queensland’s first hydrogen ready gas turbine 
• Projects subject to environmental approvals 

The proposed new dam in the Pioneer Valley near Mackay is expected to supply half of the State’s entire energy needs with clean, reliable as well as affordable renewable energy. 

The two new pumped hydro facilities included in the Plan are estimated to be bigger than the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric scheme. 

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said: “We will use cheap solar electricity during the day to pump water up the mountain to store it. Then at night we can release the water to generate electricity. It’s like a giant battery.” 

The Queensland Government is going to establish a new entity – Queensland Hydro – for the development of the Pumped Hydro Energy Storage assets. 

The Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan is anticipated to generate up to 100,000 jobs by 2040. This includes about 64,000 direct and indirect jobs during the construction of the SuperGrid and 36,000 more direct and indirect jobs – than without a Plan – across key sectors. 

“This empowers our regions in every sense of the word. 

“It will bring manufacturing back to the regions in all-new industries,” Treasurer Cameron Dick said. 

According to Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni, the Plan ensures that the State’s power generators will remain in public ownership. 

The Minister stated: “This has proved vital to invest in cleaner, cheaper energy. 

“We will maintain majority public ownership of generation and 100% public ownership of transmission and distribution.” 

The Plan will not only deliver cleaner and more secure energy as well as jobs for the State, but it will also provide benefits for the environment. 

“This is the best news the Great Barrier Reef has had in years. 

“It means emissions from energy will be cut by 90 per cent by 2035. 

“This is real climate action,” Minister for Environment and Great Barrier Reef Meaghan Scanlon said. 

The Queensland Government is set to begin consultation on key initiatives in the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan in 2023. 

Source: Queensland Government – Media Statements; Queensland Government – Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan; Roads & Infrastructure Australia