The Gamuda-Ferrovial joint venture (GFJV) announced it has entered an early contractor involvement (ECI) agreement with Capricornia Energy Hub (CEH) to help it progress the design of a 750 MW, 16-hour storage capacity pumped hydro project planned for central Queensland.
The Capricornia Pumped Hydroelectric Storage System (PHES) is part of a proposed giga-scale integrated renewable energy generation and storage hub being developed by Danish investment firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.
Initial plans for the Capricornia Energy Hub, being developed on the Broken River about 80 kilometres west of Mackay, include the pumped hydro project alongside more than 1 GW of solar, a 500 MW wind farm, and battery energy storage.
CEH said the first stage of the project will deliver a 750 MW pumped hydro project that will “provide essential storage and stability services to the north Queensland part of the National Electricity Market.”
Anticipated to be operational by 2031, the pumped hydro project includes a lower reservoir located about five kilometres downstream from the existing Eungella dam, and an upper off-stream reservoir about 1 km west of the lower storage facility.
CEH Chief Executive Officer John Carr said the appointment of ECI partners is a significant milestone for the project and allows the developer to draw on Gamuda’s and Ferrovial’s expertise to design a cost-effective pumped hydro facility.
“Their proven expertise in the construction of complex infrastructure projects, including underground works, reservoirs, and hydroelectric power stations will play a pivotal role in shaping the project as we move towards a final investment decision,” he said.
“We look forward to working with our ECI partners and their strong regional networks to unlock more opportunities for local contractors and supporting the local supply chain.”
In a statement, Gamuda said the ECI phase would take about five months to develop an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract to deliver the PHES.
“Construction of PHES is expected to begin in 2026 and would create an estimated 600 jobs during peak construction and 65 local jobs during commercial operations,” it said.
Gamuda CEO Ewan Yee said the project underscores its commitment to Queensland’s renewable energy future while expanding its presence across Australia.
Gamuda last year outlined its strategy to establish itself as a leading sustainable energy contractor in Australia, with plans to build a 1 to 2 GW portfolio of solar and wind projects in the next five years.
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Morning when would you be looking at taking cv for yhis progect.
Regards
Rob