Pumped hydro business case report months behind

A critical business case set to pave the way for the state government’s centrepiece renewable energy project may not be ready until late 2024, months after initially expected.

A critical business case set to pave the way for the state government’s centrepiece renewable energy project may not be ready until late 2024, months after initially expected.

It means the timelines for whether the government will give the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro scheme the go-ahead has become increasingly vague.

The mega-project is the largest of its kind and is slated to be built near Mackay. It is central to hitting the government’s legislated renewable energy targets but is still subject to financial, engineering, and environmental investigations and has not received approval or funding for construction.

According to Queensland Hydro timelines, updated on April 28, a detailed analytical review was due to be completed by mid-2024.

But the government is now stating the report will be received at some point this year.

And it’s understood the government will only make an investment decision on the project after it has given full and proper consideration to all advice received, which includes the business case and early environmental surveys.

A Queensland Hydro spokesman confirmed the review was well-advanced and will be completed in 2024, well within the timeline stated in the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan.

Premier Steven Miles could not immediately recall when the report would be handed in to the government and said the project was very big and thus the detailed analysis was going to take time.

Site of the proposed Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro project in North Queensland

Queensland Hydro’s project timeline stated it anticipated exploratory works would take place from 2025 with main works approvals to be gained by 2027.

Under the timeline construction would extend for more than six years — which would put construction starting by about 2028 in order to have the facility fully operational by 2035.

Stage 1 of the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro project would need to be up and running by 2032 as slated in the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan in order for the government to hit its legislated renewable energy targets.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said it was “pig-headed” and “fanciful” for the state government to pin all its renewable energy transition hopes on a single project, as he cautioned against a “drop dead” date for Queensland’s coal fired power plants to be switched of if alternatives weren’t ready.

Mr Crisafulli said he believed there would be a number of other renewable projects set to come to market, and those would play a role in the transition.

He slammed the state government’s allegations that the LNP’s lack of support for Pioneer-Burdekin meant they wanted to build a nuclear power plant as an “unfounded and childish scare campaign”.

It was revealed last month taxpayers had forked out nearly $40m buying up close to 50 properties for the project.

This was part of the $111m already spent on the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro project, including on property buy ups, geotechnical studies and front end engineering and design.

Originally published as Pumped hydro business case report months behind