250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project

K2-Hydro is the flagship project of the Kidston Clean Energy Hub, located in Kidston, Far-North Queensland.

Genex Flagship Project

250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project (K2-Hydro)

The Kidston Pumped Hydro Project is the flagship project of the Kidston Clean Energy Hub, located in Kidston, Far-North Queensland.

The Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project is the first pumped hydro project in Australia for over 40 years, the first to be developed by the private sector, and the third largest electricity storage device in the country.

Innovation
World First

First pumped storage hydro project to utilise an abandoned gold mine.

Integration

Integrated and co-located with the Kidston 270MW Solar Project.

Reliable Renewable Energy

Generates, stores and dispatches renewable energy on demand during peak periods.

Existing Infrastructure
Kidston Gold Mine

Wises and Eldridge Pits act as the upper and lower reservoirs.

Copperfield Dam

Water pipeline from Copperfield Dam to Kidston (existing pumping rights).

Accommodation & Accessibility

Utilising mining accommodation, solid road access and airstrip.

Project Specifications
Storage/Generation Capacity

250MW for 8 hours (2,000MWh).

Ramp up time

Less than 30 seconds.

Water head

218m (max) - 181m (min) drop.

About the project

The Project reached financial and contractual close in April 2021, with a total funded construction cost of around A$777M. Full swing construction at the Project commenced in May 2021, with completion of the Project on track for 2024.  

Financing was underpinned by a A$610M 15-year debt facility from the Northern Australia  Infrastructure  Facility, in addition to a $47M funding grant provided by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, a further A$3M of subordinated debt funding from Clean Energy Finance Corporation, and proceeds from the fully underwritten fundraising undertaken by the Company. 

The Project has a low capex due to the unique reuse of existing mining pits (Wises and Eldridge) as the upper and lower reservoirs for the Project, and other infrastructure such as accommodation camp, airstrip and water supply – minimising construction time and cost. 

The significant potential water head differential that the pits offer, and the vast quantity of water the pits can hold, means the Project has a high electrical efficiency and can support 2,000MWh of continuous power generation in a single generation cycle (250MW of peaking power generation over an 8-hour period). 

A dedicated transmission line will unlock the potential of the Kidston Clean Energy Hub, and the power generated will be sold directly into the NEM, whilst the synchronous operation will add much needed system strength to the weak North Queensland grid. 

The Project has unlocked the renewable generation potential of North Queensland, is contributing to the creation of 900 direct jobs, and will help the State achieve its Renewable Energy Targets of 70% by 2032 and 80% per cent by 2035.

Quick Facts

Location:

Far-North Queensland

Nameplate capacity:

250MW

Generation duration:

8 hours

Storage capacity:

2,000MWh

Upper reservoir:

Wises Pit (52ha)

Lower reservoir:

Eldridge Pit (54ha)

Project lifespan:

80 years

Number of turbines:

2

Turbine details:

125MW reversible turbines

Start-up time:

<30 Seconds

Max gross water head:

218m

EPC & O&M contractor:

McConnell Dowell & John Holland

Engineering consultant:

Entura

Project Opportunities