Alinta Energy is currently working through the approvals process for the Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project - an 'off river' development located adjacent to the Macleay River between Armidale and Kempsey in the New England Renewable Energy Zone.
The Project involves the construction and operation of a hydro-electric scheme, which includes two 'off river' water containment structures to create an upper and a lower reservoir on an ephemeral tributary of the Macleay River.
The Project will play a key role in the required decarbonisation of the National Electricity Market. It will aid in the transition of the power grid towards cleaner, more reliable and affordable electricity by supporting up to 1,600 MW of new renewable energy projects.
An underground power station complex will be connected to the reservoirs by tunnels and other infrastructure. The Project will produce up to 900 MW of electricity and will store enough water for up to 8 hours of dispatchable, reliable energy at full generation.
The Project intends to transmit and receive power by connecting to an existing Transgrid transmission line that runs between Kempsey and Armidale, known as Line 965. The Project includes the establishment of a transmission connection to Line 965, including the construction of a substation and connection infrastructure, access roads and transmission lines rated up to 330 kV.
The transportation access route to the Project area is via the Kempsey-Armidale Road. The Project will require a new two-lane unsealed access road and a minimum of one new single lane low-level bridge crossing of the Macleay River, to connect the Project area to Kempsey Armidale Road.
The Project construction will be staged over a period of approximately 5 years. While planning and detailed design work are not yet complete, the current Project schedule is based on construction commencing in 2026.
The expected operational lifespan of the Project is in excess of 100 years.
More information about the project can be found here.
Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro Energy Storage project is being developed by Alinta Energy.
Alinta Energy is one of Australia's largest energy retailers, generators, investors and developers. In the last decade we've grown from being the largest residential gas retailer in Western Australia to the preferred electricity and gas provider for more than 1.1 million homes and businesses Australia-wide.
We have an owned and contracted generation portfolio of 3,000 MW across Australia and New Zealand - including gas, wind, solar, and coal. Our determination to make energy better has put us at the forefront of the transition to renewables. We built Western Australia's highest producer of renewable energy (the Yandin Wind Farm), the first grid-forming big battery in Australia, and the biggest remote solar installation at the Chichester solar-gas hybrid project. And we're developing over $10billion of renewables and storage projects including offshore wind and pumped hydro projects.
Alinta Energy has appointed Gamuda and Ferrovial Construction as the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) partners for the Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro project.
Working alongside Alinta Energy, Gamuda and Ferrovial is progressing the project's design and undertaking initial procurement discussions to better understand contractor capabilities and resources at every level - from national to local.
The project continues to work through the approvals process and has not yet reached a Final Investment Decision, these discussions will be preliminary in nature and do not represent a guarantee of future work on the project.
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