A $2 billion pumped hydro and green hydrogen facility, dubbed a “super-hybrid” project, has been proposed for Gladstone in central Queensland.
It is the latest in a series of large-scale green hydrogen proposals in the region.
Company Sunshine Hydro is behind the proposal in partnership with Energy Estate which would see new pumped hydro generation built, as well as facilities to create and liquefy green hydrogen.
Chairman Michael Myer said the project would be built on around 303 hectares of land near Miriam Vale, south of Gladstone.
That parcel of land forms part of a larger 3,035-hectare site purchased by project partners Burnett Mary Regional Group, a natural resource management organisation based in Bundaberg.
“The site that we’ve chosen has its own natural [water] catchment. We’ve modelled the 50-year rainfall and we know that, on average, we’ll be able to fill the reservoirs from the natural catchments,” Mr Myer said.
“No year is average … as we have dry years. So we’re looking to be able to top up using desalinated water.
“So we will have a combination of natural catchment and desalinated water able to provide the water for pumped hydro and for electrolysis, which is so important.”
Mr Myer said the project was only made possible because of specialised software that allowed the different energy sources to come together in an optimal way.
“They’re not just singular assets, they’re integrated. And this software, the analogy I use, is it’s a bit like a conductor with an orchestra,” he said.
“If they all play separately, it doesn’t sound so good. If you have a conductor that gets them all to play together, according to a score, you end up with a beautiful piece of music.
“And that’s exactly what happens with this software.”
Mr Myer said the project would create 500 jobs during the construction stage as well as 60-80 ongoing full-time jobs managing the project.
He said Sunshine Hydro and its partners were funding the feasibility study, but they had already received interest from “major institutions” in funding construction, though he was not permitted to say who.
“The funding of it we’re really comfortable with,” he said.
Construction on the project is expected to begin in 2026, pending approvals, and energy generation is expected commence in 2028.
