Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull slams LNP plan to dump Qld pumped hydro project

Malcolm Turnbull has criticised an LNP pledge to dump a major Queensland pumped hydro project, declaring the state’s energy future shouldn’t be determined by ‘ideology and idiocy’. TAKE THE POLL

Malcolm Turnbull has taken aim at an LNP pledge to dump Queensland’s major pumped hydro project, declaring the state’s clean energy future shouldn’t be determined by “ideology and idiocy”.

The former Coalition prime minister used the 40th anniversary of Queensland’s first pumped-storage hydro power station, Wivenhoe, to promote the part hydro will play in the state reaching net zero by 2050.

His comments come less than one week after Opposition Leader David Crisafulli pledged to scrap the controversial, 5GW Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro project near Mackay, calling it an unachievable “multibillion-dollar fantasy”.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. Picture: David Swift

Mr Turnbull, president of the International Hydropower Association, told The Courier-Mail hydro would play a significant role in the energy transition and praised the state government for its “great leadership” in progressing it.

“Our clean energy future demands engineering and economics not ideology and idiocy,” he said.

“The cheapest form of new generation is solar PV and wind. But they need firming with long duration storage and that’s where hydro, especially pumped hydro, is absolutely critical.

“Queensland is showing great leadership with its development of pumped hydro, following in the footsteps of Wivenhoe hydro which celebrates its 40th birthday.

“But we have to build it. Our scarcest resource is time.”

Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli. Picture: Lachie Millard

Mr Crisafulli has pledged to build “smaller, more manageable pumped hydro projects” across the state, but has not revealed where they would be located.

Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro is the centrepiece of the state government’s renewable energy transition plan and is central to hitting the government’s legislated renewable energy targets.

But it remains subject to financial, engineering, and environmental investigations and has not received sign-off for construction, nor is it funded beyond a $1bn equity commitment in the latest budget papers.

Location of the proposed Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro Project. Picture: Queensland Hydro Facebook

Energy Minister Mick de Brenni said Wivenhoe Power Station proved the state could source clean energy.

“For 40 years now, the Queenslanders who crew publicly owned Wivenhoe Pumped-Storage Power Station have worked hard to deliver cheaper, cleaner and more secure energy,” he said.

“Wivenhoe Pumped-Storage Power Station is testament to the reliability and longevity of pumped hydro as the only viable technology to store large-scale clean, cheap and reliable power.