David Crisafulli backs small pumped hydro schemes and commits to net zero by 2050

Coal fired power stations in Queensland will be kept open indefinitely under an LNP government that is simultaneously committed to hitting net zero by 2050.

Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli during a media conference in Mackay. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Coal fired power stations in Queensland will be kept open indefinitely under an LNP government that is simultaneously committed to hitting net zero by 2050.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli, campaigning in Mackay on Thursday, also reaffirmed the LNP would not proceed with the controversial 5GW Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro project and instead build smaller pumped hydro schemes.

But he could not say how many pumped hydro schemes the LNP would build, where they would be, or when Queenslanders could see a detailed renewable energy transition plan from the LNP.

The 5GW Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro scheme and 2.4GW Borumba Pumped Hydro project are central to the state government’s goal of drawing 80 per cent of Queensland’s energy from renewable sources by 2035.

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But the Pioneer-Burdekin project, which will require the drowning of two towns west of Mackay, has courted significant controversy and community backlash. A detailed business case is also yet to be settled, and while the project was estimated to cost $12bn there remains no firm price tag.

David Crisafulli will not go through with the Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro project. Picture: Queensland Hydro.

Mr Crisafulli gave an “ironclad” guarantee that the LNP would not progress with the Pioneer-Burdekin project regardless of the results of the detailed business case.

Instead the LNP would look at smaller pumped hydro projects, with Mr Crisafulli saying the party would look to “partner with” the private sector on plans already in the pipeline and bring those online “sooner” than the government could.

But Mr Crisafulli failed to say how many would be needed to match the 5GW on-demand 24 hour baseload power the Pioneer-Burdekin scheme would have provided or where those projects would be.

“Our commitment is to make sure that the projects are real and tangible and can be delivered on time and on budget,” he said.

“I’m a firm believer in pumped hydro being a really important part of firming up renewables, but I’m also a firm believer in being honest with people.”

Mr Crisafulli also confirmed he would keep coal-fired power plants open indefinitely to ensure a “seamless” transition to renewable energy.

“There is no way that a vast majority of thinking Queenslanders would want us to shut off baseload power before the capacity of the next generation of energy has been developed,” he said.

“But it would be unfair of me not to say that we are committed to making sure that the system transition continues.”

Under the state government’s energy plan all coal fired power stations would be turned into clean energy hubs and Queensland would end its reliance on coal in 2035.

Mr Crisafulli would not say if his detailed renewable energy plan would be released before or after the election.

“We’ll be having more to say about the future energy mix before and after the election,” he said.

“Because there will be, there will be a number of opportunities where good projects will be put forward, but my commitment to Queensland is (we) have to make sure that there is project discipline and value attached to them that ensures that our electricity can still be affordable.”

Originally published as David Crisafulli backs small pumped hydro schemes and commits to net zero by 2050