Idemitsu’s Pumped Hydro Project for the former Muswellbrook Coal site and Yancoal’s Stratford Pumped Hydro and Solar Project have been declared Critical State Significant Infrastructure due to their ability to help maintain the state’s critical energy security if they’re approved.
Coal mining ceased at Muswellbrook Coal in late 2022 after 115 years of operation in the Upper Hunter.
The Pumped Hydro project is a joint venture between Idemitsu and AGL that proposes to create 400 megawatts of energy generation utilising an existing mine void as the lower reservoir and an upper reservoir at Bells Mountain.
Pumped hyrdo works by circulating water from a lower reservoir into an upper storage reservoir. Upon demand, water is released from the upper storage site and uses gravity to turn turbines and generate electricity.
The project would be located within the Hunter Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone and has been awarded $9.45 million in funding under the NSW Government’s Pumped Hydro Recoverable Grants Program.
AGL’s General Manager, Energy Hubs, Travis Hughes outlined the important role the plant could play in providing long-duration storage for NSW.
“The 400 MW Muswellbrook Pumped Hydro plant is expected to have a 100-year asset life and provide eight hours of energy storage. That’s four times the storage duration and five times the asset life of most current battery storage systems. The project has the potential to create 250 jobs during construction and 20 ongoing jobs during operation.”
Idemitsu Australia’s CEO Steve Kovac said the Muswellbrook Pumped Hydro project will provide on-demand source of energy generation.
“We believe this is critical to delivering renewable energy at lower prices and will benefit both the community and businesses.
“This project is part of Australia’s renewable energy future. It demonstrates a genuine opportunity for post mining land use that creates significant ongoing value to NSW, along with direct employment and economic benefits to the regional communities of the Hunter Valley.”
At another corner of the Hunter Valley, Yancoal Australia is investigating diversification opportunities at their Stratford Mining Complex 95-kilometres north of Newcastle in the Gloucester Valley.
The proposed Stratford Renewable Energy Hub includes Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (3600MW hours over a 12-hour cycle) and a Solar Farm Facility (330MW initial capacity).
The projects would be developed on and adjacent to the coal mine on Yancoal-owned land. The Pumped Hydro project would utilise the mine’s existing dams and water stocks as a lower reservoir and backup water supply and storage.
The solar project would provide a portion of the energy to recharge the Pumped Hydro during daylight hours when there is excess renewable electricity already in the grid.
Mining is scheduled to finish at Stratford by the end of 2024. When the mining comes to an end the employees will continue working at the mine for around four years, closing down operations, decommissioning and removing infrastructure, and completing rehabilitation of the site to an approved final landform.
