Borumba Dam pumped hydro project gets state funding approval

The Borumba Dam pumped hydro project heralds a massive changeover in energy production, with the Mary Valley, South Burnett and Gympie at the helm. Find out how to get involved as the dam enters its next phase.

Christine Schindler

3 min read

June 22, 2023 - 3:28PM

Borumba Dam pumped hydro gets state government funding in what is the “biggest single investment in Queensland’s energy infrastructure in decades”. Find out what the next year holds for the dam.

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The much anticipated 2000MW Borumba Dam pumped hydro project has been given the financial green light as the state government committed $6bn in the 2023-24 budget, subject to environmental approvals.

The Borumba Dam pumped hydro project will play an integral part in the transition away from Queensland’s reliance on fossil fuels to providing a reliable and renewable energy source to the state.

Qld Hydro has announced industry and community briefing dates for business, contractors wanting to get involved and community members to understand how the project might affect the local area.

Located in the Mary Valley the $14.2bn project will transform Borumba Dam into a pumped hydro power house with seven dams across two reservoirs.

The power station, located 400m underground is expected to be the size of two footballs fields and the ability to generate energy for up to 2 million homes at full capacity.

“It’s an incredibly exciting project for the Gympie region and we expect it will generate up to 2000 or more jobs at peak construction,” newly appointed Qld Hydro CEO Kieran Cusack said.

Newly appointed Qld Hydro CEO Kieran Cusack is heading the $14.2bn Borumba Dam pumped hydro project and brings lessons from his time at Snowy 2.0 along with a passion for seeing young people skilled up for opportunities at projects such as this one.

The first of a series of industry briefings begin in July and outline early opportunities for participation and employment.

“Our intent would be to facilitate as many local workers to take those jobs as we possibly can, there will be tremendous business opportunities and we mean to reach out to the local market as much as we can,” the Qld Hydro CEO said.

Mr Cusack said he was very passionate about providing opportunities to train the next generation of skilled workers, and he envisioned a range of apprenticeships and traineeships will be available through primary contractors as they get involved in the project.

The state funding commitment moves the project to the next phase of exploratory works which is expected to continue for the next two and half years.

During this time Qld Hydro will be conducting a series of industry, stakeholder and community engagements as it works towards detailed designs, exploratory work, and the relevant state and federal environmental approvals.

A diagram illustrating how pumped hydro systems work. Picture: Qld Hydro

If environmental approvals go to plan, construction of the dam will begin in 2026, with completion pencilled in for 2031.

The project heralds a massive changeover in energy production with the Mary Valley, South Burnett and Gympie at the helm, and residents have grappled with news of associated high voltage powerline infrastructure crossing the region.

Qld Hydro are also holding a series of community briefings across these regions to inform interested community members on exploratory works, the planning and approvals process, working with Qld Hydro and what pumped hydro is.

Mr Cusack acknowledged that this change would be a “challenge for the entire nation” in what would be the “most profound economic change to civilisation of all time”.

“We should not underestimate the magnitude of this clean energy transformation for Australia,” Mr Cusack said, quoting former chief scientist Alan Finkel.

“We remain committed to genuine engagement with local communities, with all our stakeholders, and are seeking their input and views to help us improve our planning and our decision making as we move through the approvals process,” he said.

Borumba Dam is at the helm of the transition towards reliable renewable energy and the decarbonisation of Queensland’s energy system.

Mr Cusack, who worked as project director on Snowy 2.0, said he brought his lessons from it across, noting also that Borumba has much shorter tunnels, meaning it was in “a lower risk position for the geology and geotechnical risk”.

“We will be working to really understand that geology and to put in place a detailed understanding so we can adapt our construction techniques to mitigate any risks that are identified,” he said.

“The project will accelerate the decarbonisation of Queensland’s energy system, providing the long duration energy storage needed to achieve our renewable energy targets of 70 per cent by 2032 and 80 per cent by 2035,” a statement from the Department of Energy and Public Works said.

The project, it said, would be the “biggest single investment in Queensland’s energy infrastructure in decades.”