Why Qld Hydro projects won’t suffer same hitches as Snowy 2.0

The construction debacles hitting Snowy Hydro 2.0 aren’t at risk of being repeated at Queensland’s two transformative pumped-hydro projects due to one “really important difference”.

The construction debacles hitting Snowy Hydro 2.0 aren’t at risk of being repeated at Queensland’s two transformative pumped-hydro projects due to one “really important difference”, a top bureaucrat has assured.

The state government has proposed building two new pumped-hydro projects — one west of Mackay and another south of Gympie — as central to reaching its renewable-energy targets of 70 per cent by 2032 and 80 per cent by 2035.

Work is progressing on the projects, with the government recently reaching out to industry to develop a cost estimate on the Pioneer-Burdekin scheme.

This comes amid reignited attention on New South Wales’ Snowy Hydro 2.0 project, which has been plagued with delays, cost overruns and ongoing problems including the bogging of its premier tunnelling machine in soft earth.

Queensland Hydro chief executive Chris Evans said the issues hitting Snowy Hydro 2.0 underlined the importance of sound geological/geotechnical information for pumped-hydro projects, which would be a key focus for the state’s projects.

A “really important difference” between Snowy Hydro 2.0 and Queensland’s two projects was the length of the tunnels needed.

Snowy Hydro 2.0 requires 27km of tunnels, while the 5GW Pioneer-Burdekin project and smaller 2GW version at Borumba Dam will need 3.5km and 3km of tunnels respectively.

The three reservoirs and affected properties for the proposed Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro scheme. Picture: Queensland Hydro

“So we have significantly less underground risk than what is in place for the Snowy project,” Mr Evans said.

He said geotechnical drilling at the Borumba site had been done, with the same to start west of Mackay in the next couple of months.

After government approval, more intense geotechnical investigation will be done to understand the “micro differences” in geology at Borumba.

Up to 80 properties, including 50 homes west of Mackay, in Netherdale and Dalrymple Heights, will need to be resumed for the Pioneer-Burdekin project.

Mr Evans said the government wasn’t actively seeking to acquire properties at this stage, but “quite a number” of landholders had already put their hand up to negotiate a sale early.

Queensland Hydro, in an expressions-of-interest drive that shut on March 2, called for consultancy services to develop the cost estimate for the Pioneer-Burdekin project.

The cost estimator, according to brief details on the government’s procurement website, would be responsible for the time-sensitive development of a cost estimate and financial and economic modelling for the Pioneer-Burdekin project.

The government has previously estimated the Pioneer-Burdekin plan itself would cost an estimated $12bn — nearly 20 per cent of the price tag of the energy plan.

A detailed analytical report into the Borumba Dam Hydro project is due to the Queensland Government by the end of March while the same report for the Pioneer-Burdekin project is due in June 2024.