Name of the Project
Pumped hydroelectric storage project.
Location
The proposed project will be located in the Spencer Gulf of South Australia.
The site has an elevation of 300 m within 2 km of the coast, close to high-voltage transmission lines.
Client
EnergyAustralia, the Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI) and Arup Group.
Project Description
The project entails the construction of a pumped-storage project that uses seawater.
The proposed project would have the capacity to produce 100 MW to 200 MW of electricity with six to eight hours of storage – the equivalent of installing 100 000 home battery storage systems, but at a fifth of the cost.
With conventional pumped hydro, water is pumped from a lower reservoir to a higher one when energy is cheap.
Then, when demand for power is high and prices rise, the water is run down again and put through a turbine to generate electricity. By using the sea as the lower reservoir, the requirements for access to freshwater are removed.
Jobs to Be Created
Not stated.
Value
Not stated.
Duration
Construction will take about two years, which means the project could provide peak power for the grid by 2020/21.
Latest Developments
EnergyAustralia is aiming to have a feasibility study done on the project by the mid-2017.
If the project is viable, detailed engineering design work, environmental-impact statements, consultation with stakeholders and applications for government approval will follow.
Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.
On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.
Contact Details for Project Information
EnergyAustralia, tel +61 3 9422 2968 or email enq@energyaustralia.com.au
MEI, Caitlin McGrane, tel +61 3 9035 9458 or email caitlin.mcgrane@unimelb.edu.au.
Arup, Therese Raft, tel +61 2 9320 9320 or email Eaustralasia.press@arup.com.