Underground excavation works have begun at the 250MW Kidston pumped storage project in Queensland, Australia, Genex Power has announced.
The tunnelling works, which are being carried out by the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor joint venture (JV) of McConnell Dowell and John Holland, marks a significant milestone for the project, which Genex CEO James Harding said was achieved ahead of schedule.
The Kidston Pumped Storage project is a $777 million project, which will create over 800 jobs during its construction period and when operational, will contribute to significant benefits to the electricity network in North Queensland, as well as serving to lower electricity prices. The project is the first pumped storage power station to be built in Australia for nearly 40 years.
The project requires the conversion of two existing mine pits into reservoirs. It involves the construction of significant underground infrastructure including a large powerhouse cavern and waterway shafts and tunnels to allow the transfer of water between the upper and lower reservoirs to generate power when solar and wind generation is not available and return water back to the upper reservoir when there is an abundance of renewable power.
Official ground breaking for the project was held on 10 June 2021, with the project having reached financial close back in mid May.
Credit: © Genex Power.
