Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro
Key Information
| Customer: | Beon Energy Solutions |
|---|---|
| Location: | Kidston, Qld. |
| Sector: |
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| Product: | |
| Developer | Genex Power |
| Year | 2023 |
IUP was engaged by Beon Energy Solutions to support the 250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro project, utilising an abandoned gold mine in Far North Queensland, with 275kV base plate mounted poles. Included was a 46.0m 578kN strain pole weighing 52T and a 52.2m 294kN strain pole that weighed 39T.
Key outcomes.
Australia’s first pumped hydro storage project in over 40 years will create a significant public benefit on completion in 2024.
250
MW
Storage capacity
2000
MWh
Renewable electricity per generation cycle
143k
Homes
Powered
The Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro project marks a significant milestone, being Australia’s first pumped storage power plant in over four decades. Set amidst the historical Kidston Gold Mine in Queensland, it converts abandoned pits into upper and lower reservoirs, creating a sustainable energy hub. The system will store and dispatch 2,000MWh of electricity, enabling power to 143,000 homes for eight hours.
Developed by Genex Power, the 250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro (K2-Hydro) project is a flagship renewable energy project that ingeniously repurposes two abandoned gold mine pits into upper and lower water reservoirs. Located approximately 270km north-west of Townsville, it is the first pumped hydro storage plant constructed in Australia in over four decades. Capable of dispatching 2,000MWh of electricity—enough to power 143,000 homes for eight hours—this facility is a foundational piece of Queensland’s emerging clean energy infrastructure.
Connecting to the Grid
To export this sustainable power to the National Electricity Market, the project requires an extensive new 186-kilometre, 275kV single-circuit twin phosphorous transmission line connecting the site to the Mount Fox substation. Operating within this massive grid expansion, International Utility Poles was engaged by Beon Energy Solutions to deliver specialised utility poles capable of handling immense structural loads.
We supplied heavy-duty 275kV base plate mounted steel poles, including a massive 46.0m strain pole with a 578kN capacity weighing 52 tonnes, and a 52.2m strain pole capable of 294kN weighing 39 tonnes. 1 These highly specialized transmission poles ensure the safe, reliable power transmission necessary to bring the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro project to life and advance the development of Australia’s national renewable network.