Conservation groups say the new Queensland government must quickly announce details of its alternative energy plans, following confirmation that the new LNP administration will scrap the state's attempts to build the “world's largest” hydroelectric project.
Premier David Crisafulli has confirmed that the LNP, as promised during the election campaign, would end planning for a proposed 5GW Pioneer Burdekin pumped hydro project that would have built a massive energy storage dam in the center of Queensland.
The LNP criticized the project, calling it “not feasible” and a “fraud”. It has said it will now “investigate opportunities for smaller, more manageable pumped hydro projects.”
These could include privately funded projects or government-backed construction.
The Queensland Conservation Council said the new government should publish details of those plans as a priority, within the government's first 100 days, given how critical such storage projects were to meeting energy transition goals.
Crisafulli's government has also committed to meeting Labour's renewable energy targets, which require 50% of the state's generation to come from renewables by 2030; 70% by 2032; and 80% by 2035.
Long-term storage would be necessary to achieve those goals.
“It's really important that the new state government is upfront about what pumped hydro projects they are considering,” said Dave Copeman, director of the Queensland Conservation Council.
“Queenslanders want to know they are serious about the energy transition, but we also, and more importantly, need to be able to assess the potential environmental impacts of their plans.”
Government sources and experts have said the Pioneer Burdekin site was best for pumped hydro energy storage, but the plan had encountered significant nave opposition.
Others have questioned the lack of details, including the total cost, of the project.
Dr Dylan McConnell, an energy systems analyst at the University of New South Wales, told Guardian Australia during the election campaign that megaprojects like the Pioneer Burdekin would likely lead to cost increases and delays.
He said several smaller projects could help “diversify the risk” of delays; but that the falling cost of batteries could mean that, when pumped hydro projects are built, “it might be cheaper to build chemical storage.”
Copeman said the QCC had sought more transparency from the previous state government about why it chose the Pioneer Burdekin project.
“Transparency is very important for Queenslanders to make an informed decision,” he said.
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“Unfortunately, the debate over Pioneer Burdekin became political and not fact-based.
“We absolutely support the energy transition because climate change is one of the biggest threats to our biodiversity and the places Queenslanders love, but development must be planned well and done right.
“The worst outcome would be if the cumulative environmental impact and cost of building multiple smaller pumped hydro projects were significantly greater.
“We can’t know until the LNP government is honest about its plans.”
Crisafulli has said the new government could look to “partner with” proponents of smaller pumped hydro projects already in the pipeline, and bring them online sooner than Pioneer Burdekin would have done.
The new government continues to support the 2 GW Borumba pumped hydro project, which has made further progress than Pioneer Burdekin and is already in the initial phase of works.
It is understood the state has already acquired more than 50 properties as part of its planning to build Pioneer Burdekin.
“We are working on the process [with landholders] … but it will be what the people want,” said Deputy Prime Minister Jarrod Bleijie.
“I have asked the department and Queensland Hydro to…stop any progress on that project, which they have done.”
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