The Times Australia
The Times World News

.
The Times Real Estate

.

Queensland election signals both major parties accept pumped hydro and the renewable energy transition as inevitable

  • Written by Jamie Pittock, Professor, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University

Solar and wind have won the global energy race. They accounted for 80% of new global power capacity[1] installed in 2023. In Australia, 99% of new capacity[2] is wind or solar.

The Queensland election campaign suggests both sides of politics have embraced the renewable energy transition. But solar and wind are variable and need energy storage. That is where pumped hydro energy storage[3] and batteries come in.

Both are off-the-shelf technologies. And both are already being used on a vast scale.

Having promised[4] 80% renewable energy by 2035, the incumbent Labor government is committed to large pumped hydro systems at Borumba[5], on the Sunshine Coast, and Pioneer-Burdekin[6], near Mackay. The A$14.2 billion Borumba project appears to have support from both major parties. However, the Liberal National Party (LNP) says it will scrap the $12 billion Pioneer Burdekin project[7] and the renewables target[8] if elected.

While Pioneer-Burdekin is a very good site, there are good alternatives. The LNP says[9] it “will investigate opportunities for smaller, more manageable pumped hydro projects”. Regardless, in supporting more pumped hydro storage and rejecting the federal Coalition’s nuclear power plans[10], the state LNP is accepting the renewable energy transformation as inevitable.

What is pumped hydro energy storage?

Pumped hydro systems[11] store surplus electricity[12] from solar and wind on sunny and windy days. The electricity is used to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir. This water can later be released downhill though turbines to generate power when it’s needed.

An illustration of how pumped hydro energy storage works
ARENA, CC BY[13][14] This proven technology has been used for over a century. It accounts for about 90% of global energy storage[15]. Australia has three pumped hydro systems (Tumut 3[16], Kangaroo Valley[17], Wivenhoe[18]) and two under construction (Snowy 2.0[19] and Kidston[20]). Snowy 2.0 will last for at least 100 years. Its capacity (350 gigawatt-hours, GWh[21]) is equivalent to 6 million electric vehicle batteries. It’s enough to power 3 million homes for a week. Due to start operating in 2028, Snowy 2.0 will cost about $12 billion[22]. That’s roughly equivalent to $2,000 for a 100-year-lifetime EV battery. Pumped hydro energy storage is cheap[23]! ANU’s RE100 Group[24] has published global atlases[25] of about 800,000 potential pumped hydro sites. None require new dams on rivers. Some are new sites (greenfield). Others would use existing reservoirs (bluefield[26]) or old mines (brownfield[27]). What about batteries? Batteries are best for short-term storage (a few hours). Pumped hydro is better for overnight or several days – Snowy 2.0 will provide 150 hours of storage[28]. A combination of these storage systems is better than either alone[29]. As with any major infrastructure, pumped hydro development has costs and risks[30]. It has high upfront capital costs but very low operating costs. What are Queensland’s options? In Queensland, solar and wind electricity rose from 2% to 26% of total generation over the past decade. It’s heading for about 75% in 2030 as part of Australia’s 82% renewables target[31]. Queensland needs roughly 150 GWh of extra storage for full decarbonisation. After accounting for Borumba (50 GWh), batteries and other storage, Pioneer-Burdekin (120 GWh) would meet that need. A similarly sized system or several smaller systems would also suffice. The latter approach has advantages of decentralisation but would cost more and have environmental impacts in more places. The state has thousands of potential sites that are “off-river” (do not require new dams on rivers). The table below shows 15 premium sites, most with capacities of 50–150 GWh. Some larger sizes are included for interest – 5,000 GWh would store enough energy for 100 million people. The key technical parameters are: head: the altitude difference between the two reservoirs – bigger is better slope: the ratio of the head to the distance between the reservoirs – larger slope means shorter tunnel W/R: the volume of stored water (W) divided by the volume of rock (R) needed for the reservoir walls. Large W/R means low-cost reservoirs. Clicking on each name takes you to a view of the site with more details. Pumped storage in far north Queensland is valuable because it can absorb solar and wind energy from the Copperstring transmission extension[32] to Mt Isa. It can then send it down the transmission line to Brisbane at off-peak times. This will ensure the line mostly operates close to full capacity. A view of two potential 150GWh pumped hydro sites near Tully Two potential premium 150 GWh bluefield pumped hydro energy storage systems near Tully. Author provided/RE100[33] What about the rest of Australia? Pumped storage and batteries keep the lights on during solar and wind energy droughts[34] that occasionally occur in winter in southern Australia. They also meet evening peak demand[35]. The fossil fuel lobby argues[36] gas is needed in the energy transition. But pumped hydro and battery storage eliminate the need[37] for gas generators and their greenhouse gas emissions. In the past decade, solar and wind generation in Australia’s National Electricity Market increased from 6% to 35%[38]. Gas fell from 12% to 5%. Most pumped hydro projects can be built off rivers. The same water is repeatedly transferred between the reservoirs. This means the system keeps running during droughts and avoids the impacts of new dams blocking rivers and flooding valleys. The environmental and social impacts of off-river pumped hydro projects are much lower[39] than for conventional hydropower or fossil fuel projects. The system uses very common materials, primarily water, rock, concrete and steel. Very little land is flooded for off-river pumped hydro to support a 100% renewable energy system: about 3 square metres per person[40]. Only about 3 litres of water per person[41] per day is needed for the initial fill and to replace evaporation. Sometimes, safely disposing of tunnel spoil is a challenge – as with mining (including for coal and battery metals). Any major new generation facility and its transmission lines may involve clearing[42] and disturbing bushland. Local communities sometimes oppose[43] pumped hydro developments. In Australia, ANU identified 5,500 potential sites[44]. Only one to two dozen are needed to enable the nation to be fully powered by renewables. About a dozen pumped hydro projects are in detailed planning. Hydro Tasmania’s Battery of the Nation[45] is proposed for Cethana. Other prominent projects include Oven Mountain[46], Central West[47], Upper Hunter Hydro[48] and Burragorang[49] in New South Wales. You can expect to see more pumped hydro systems in a state near you. References^ 80% of new global power capacity (www.pv-magazine.com)^ 99% of new capacity (theconversation.com)^ pumped hydro energy storage (www.pv-magazine.com)^ promised (queenslandlabor.org)^ Borumba (qldhydro.com.au)^ Pioneer-Burdekin (qldhydro.com.au)^ Pioneer Burdekin project (debfrecklington.com.au)^ renewables target (www.theguardian.com)^ LNP says (www.abc.net.au)^ rejecting the federal Coalition’s nuclear power plans (www.theguardian.com)^ Pumped hydro systems (www.energy.gov)^ store surplus electricity (iopscience.iop.org)^ ARENA (arena.gov.au)^ CC BY (creativecommons.org)^ 90% of global energy storage (www.pv-magazine.com)^ Tumut 3 (www.snowyhydro.com.au)^ Kangaroo Valley (en.wikipedia.org)^ Wivenhoe (cleancoqueensland.com.au)^ Snowy 2.0 (www.snowyhydro.com.au)^ Kidston (genexpower.com.au)^ 350 gigawatt-hours, GWh (www.snowyhydro.com.au)^ cost about $12 billion (www.snowyhydro.com.au)^ hydro energy storage is cheap (theconversation.com)^ RE100 Group (re100.eng.anu.edu.au)^ global atlases (www.pv-magazine.com)^ bluefield (theconversation.com)^ brownfield (www.sciencedirect.com)^ 150 hours of storage (www.snowyhydro.com.au)^ better than either alone (www.pv-magazine.com)^ costs and risks (www.mdpi.com)^ 82% renewables target (www.dcceew.gov.au)^ Copperstring transmission extension (www.powerlink.com.au)^ Author provided/RE100 (re100.anu.edu.au)^ solar and wind energy droughts (www.sciencedirect.com)^ meet evening peak demand (www.snowyhydro.com.au)^ fossil fuel lobby argues (keepingthecountryrunning.com.au)^ eliminate the need (createdigital.org.au)^ increased from 6% to 35% (opennem.org.au)^ are much lower (www.mdpi.com)^ 3 square metres per person (iopscience.iop.org)^ 3 litres of water per person (iopscience.iop.org)^ may involve clearing (doi.org)^ Local communities sometimes oppose (www.saveeungella.com.au)^ 5,500 potential sites (theconversation.com)^ Battery of the Nation (www.hydro.com.au)^ Oven Mountain (www.ompshydro.com)^ Central West (www.centralwestpumpedhydro.com.au)^ Upper Hunter Hydro (www.upperhunterhydro.com.au)^ Burragorang (www.waternsw.com.au)

Read more https://theconversation.com/queensland-election-signals-both-major-parties-accept-pumped-hydro-and-the-renewable-energy-transition-as-inevitable-229611

The Times Features

Expert Tips for Planning Home Electrical Upgrades in Australia

Home electrical systems in Australia are quite intricate and require careful handling. Safety and efficiency determine the functionality of these systems, and it's critical to ...

Floor Tiling: Choosing the Right Tiles for Every Room

Choosing floor tiles is more than just grabbing the first design that catches your eye at the showroom. You need to think about how the floor tiling option will fit into your spa...

Exploring Family Caravans: Your Ultimate Guide to Mobile Living and Travel

Australia is the land of vast horizons, spectacular coastlines, and a never-ending adventure. As landscapes and adventures vary across the country, Voyager will route you, carava...

Energy-Efficient Homes in Geelong: How a Local Electrician Can Help You Save Money

Rising energy bills don’t have to be the new normal. With Victoria’s energy prices up 25% last year, Geelong homeowners are fighting back and winning, by partnering with licenced...

Eating disorders don’t just affect teen girls. The risk may go up around pregnancy and menopause too

Eating disorders impact more than 1.1 million people in Australia[1], representing 4.5% of the population. These disorders include binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, and...

Head lice are getting harder to kill. Here’s how to break the nit cycle

Wrangling head lice, and the children they infest, must be up there with the most challenging duties a parent or carer has to face. And the job is getting harder. Commonly u...

Times Magazine

Why Cloud Computing Is the Future of IT Infrastructure for Enterprises

Globally, cloud computing is changing the way business organizations manage their IT infrastructure. It offers cheap, flexible and scalable solutions. Cloud technologies are applied in organizations to facilitate procedures and optimize operation...

First Nations Writers Festival

The First Nations Writers Festival (FNWF) is back for its highly anticipated 2025 edition, continuing its mission to celebrate the voices, cultures and traditions of First Nations communities through literature, art and storytelling. Set to take ...

Improving Website Performance with a Cloud VPS

Websites represent the new mantra of success. One slow website may make escape for visitors along with income too. Therefore it's an extra offer to businesses seeking better performance with more scalability and, thus represents an added attracti...

Why You Should Choose Digital Printing for Your Next Project

In the rapidly evolving world of print media, digital printing has emerged as a cornerstone technology that revolutionises how businesses and creative professionals produce printed materials. Offering unparalleled flexibility, speed, and quality, d...

What to Look for When Booking an Event Space in Melbourne

Define your event needs early to streamline venue selection and ensure a good fit. Choose a well-located, accessible venue with good transport links and parking. Check for key amenities such as catering, AV equipment, and flexible seating. Pla...

How BIM Software is Transforming Architecture and Engineering

Building Information Modeling (BIM) software has become a cornerstone of modern architecture and engineering practices, revolutionizing how professionals design, collaborate, and execute projects. By enabling more efficient workflows and fostering ...

LayBy Shopping