Copperstring 2.0 to turn ‘unsealed road’ to ‘six-lane highway’ for NQ renewable energy potential

The state government’s beefed up version of North Queensland’s energy backbone is akin to upgrading an “unsealed road” to a “six-lane highway”— but why does it cost so much?

The state government’s beefed-up version of North Queensland’s energy backbone is akin to upgrading an “unsealed road” to a “six-lane highway” able to push thousands of megawatts of renewable energy into the national grid, the project’s owner has said.

The decision to publicly build and own the Copperstring 2.0 project, at an increased cost of $5bn, has been heralded by organisations ranging from the Queensland Resources Council to climate activists and the union.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, in a major speech in Townsville on Tuesday, confirmed the state government would take over the 1100km power network project designed to connect the North West Minerals Province to the national grid via Hughenden and Townsville.

Annastacia Palaszczuk at the Townsville Enterprise lunch on Tuesday. Picture: Annette Dew

In a shift from the existing proposal, the state government will upgrade the 342km section from Hughenden to Townsville from a 330kV line to a 500kV line, with the move a major factor in bumping the cost to $5bn. Copperstring 2.0, prior to the state government’s takeover and expansion, was estimated at $2.5bn on the latest figures.

The state opposition, while reiterating support for the project, has questioned the increased cost, pointing to the $2.3bn, 900km-long, 330kV South Australia-NSW interconnector known as EnergyConnect.

Copperstring proponent CuString managing director Joseph O’Brien said upgrading the section from major renewable zone Hughenden to Townsville would effectively switch the region’s current ability to pump power into the grid from an “single-lane unsealed road” to a “six-lane highway”.

Copperstring 2.0, Queensland’s most significant power network project, will be taken over by the government.

“It will be the biggest artery of transmission for renewable energy in the country,” he said.

It’s estimated the project could unlock 6000 megawatts of renewable energy in the area, a capacity that organisation Solar Citizens noted was the equivalent of “doubling the existing large-scale solar and wind farms” in the state.

Mining giant Glencore, owner of major energy user Mount Isa Mines, said the purchase of Copperstring was a “very positive development” and that it looked forward to “reviewing the detail” of the proposal.

Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane said Copperstring had the “potential to be a big shot in the arm” for the North West Minerals Province, but warned the controversial coal royalty hike had damaged investor confidence across the mining industry.

Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter, who has been pushing Copperstring 2.0 for a decade, thanked the Premier for “seeing the value” in the region.

Originally published as Copperstring 2.0 to turn ‘unsealed road’ to ‘six-lane highway’ for NQ renewable energy potential