Wivenhoe Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Station is to undergo a $14 million overhaul to ensure it continues to pump cleaner, cheaper energy for years to come.
Major maintenance works are expected to begin later this month.
Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen, Mick de Brenni said Wivenhoe was important for the reliability of the State’s electricity network.
“All our publicly-owned energy generators have worked around the clock to respond to constraints in the network in these past few weeks,” Mr de Brenni said.
“When Callide C Power Station went offline in May, we were able to ramp Wivenhoe up to the point it was generating 530 megawatts over a four-hour period, helping to meet demand and stabilise the network.”
Mr de Brenni said the upgrades were critical for preserving the reliability of the plant.
“This $14 million overhaul will include the repair and refurbishment of one of the 285-megawatt turbines, corrosion protection painting of machinery and pipes, and repairs to a transformer,” he said.
“Wivenhoe is the jewel in the crown of Queensland’s publicly-owned energy storage fleet and maintaining it will be critical to achieving our renewable energy target.”
Chief Executive of CleanCo, Maia Schweizer said that since taking ownership in 2019, CleanCo had run Wivenhoe more often as part of its portfolio of low-emissions assets.
“We must maintain our generating assets in line with this change in operations to ensure we can continue to meet our mandate to provide reliable, affordable energy for our customers and the Queensland community,” Dr Schweizer said.
Maintenance works will run from mid-July until late October.
