Investigation works underway for the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro Project

Investigation works have started for Queensland’s Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro Project.

The proposed Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro Project is a publicly owned energy storage facility with a capacity of 5,000 MW, or enough to provide 24 hours of energy storage, as Queensland Hydro explains. It will essentially work by pumping water to higher reservoirs when energy production is high, and then discharge to a lower reservoir, while producing energy, when renewable production is low.

As for the investigation phase, over the next 12 months, works regarding information gathering about the project’s environmental, cultural, social, economic, and technical aspects will take place and, according to Queensland Hydro, will include:

• geotechnical drilling to identify soil and rock types, and ground conditions.
• surface and groundwater monitoring.
• a range of visual inspections to survey the ecological and cultural heritage values of the area.

Any information gathered will be used to assess the project’s impact and benefits. These insights will then be used to form a detailed report for the Queensland Government, which will be considered for the project’s investment decisions. If the project is approved, exploratory and main works will follow, with an Environmental Impact Assessment included in the latter.

It was also stated in the owner’s newsletter that if it is decided to move on with the project, the reservoirs will not be concreted, but preserve their natural ground profile. As for the dams, they will have concrete and/or rock walls and will be water-tightly founded on bedrock.

Finally, according to Queensland Hydro’s timetable, construction could start as early as 2027 and last five years, while if the project is realized, it will be the world’s largest pumped hydro project.