The Pioneer-Burdekin Renewable Hydro Power Project has made significant strides with geotechnical drilling showing excellent results. Drilling conducted by Mackay-based Twin Hills Engineering, in collaboration with WSP and SMEC, uncovered strong, coarse granite rock ideal for building dams, tunnels, and potentially underground powerhouses. This is a crucial step for the proposed pumped hydro storage facility, which will store surplus renewable energy and release it when energy demand is high, providing cleaner power to Queensland during peak hours.
The project, designed to pump water up the Great Dividing Range during times of abundant energy, will harness gravity to generate power during the evening peak when energy demand and prices are at their highest. The outcome will help reduce electricity costs for households by balancing supply and demand more efficiently.
Drilling at the site reached depths of up to 850 meters, yielding 3,800 meters of geotechnical cores. The results showed two main types of rock, with fewer geological complexities compared to large-scale projects like Snowy Hydro 2.0, which has over 20 types of rock at its site. The findings suggest the project will be less complicated and faster to build, with the potential to deliver power more quickly and affordably.
The data collected will inform detailed design specifications, further lowering risks and costs. International mega-project experience suggests that refining project details early on can cut costs and timelines by up to 20%.
This groundbreaking project aims to create the world's largest water battery, playing a key role in Queensland’s renewable energy future.