State eyes link-up for renewable power hub

THE State Government is still considering plans for a transmission project to support a billion-dollar renewable energy hub and 1000 construction jobs in North Queensland.

Kidston Energy Hub proponents Genex Power this week revealed the high-voltage line, which needs to be built between Kidston and Mount Fox in North Queensland, is the “final piece of the puzzle” in their plans to develop a 250MW pumped storage hydro-electricity power station, a 165MW solar farm and, possibly, a 150MW wind farm.

Genex has offered to contribute around half the cost of the transmission project, expected to cost a total of about $200 million, which would be owned and operated by state-owned Powerlink.

According to Powerlink, its final environmental assessment report into the Genex Kidston Connection Project is expected to be finalised mid to late this year before being submitted to the Government.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced a Clean Energy Hub in 2017 as part of the Government’s $386 million Powering North Queensland Plan to “reinvest dividends” from electricity corporations into “essential projects and infrastructure”.

The hub was meant to connect stranded renewable projects west of Cairns and Townsville.

Minister for Energy Anthony Lynham said the Government needed to take account of a Federal Government that had “moved the goalposts many times” on energy policy as well as plans to develop transmission by Copperstring between Townsville and Cloncurry.