Minister for Employment and Small Business Di Farmer and Assistant Minister for Hydrogen Development Lance McCallum are touring the Kidston Pumped Hydro Storage Project, which is set to play a significant part in creating jobs in Far North Queensland while also producing renewable energy.
Minister Farmer stated that the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan lays the groundwork for the Genex Kidston Hydro Storage Project, which will create roughly 900 jobs and help power new jobs in North Queensland’s rural sectors.
“The Kidston Pumped Hydro Storage Project is building a 250-megawatt pumped storage hydroelectric power generation facility that will use the old Kidston Gold Mine’s upper and lower pits,” Minister Farmer said.
Minister Farmer added that the Queensland Government invested $147 million in transmission infrastructure to connect the facility to a 186-kilometre transmission line from Kidston to Mount Fox near Ingham, providing 400 jobs.
“The construction of the pumped hydro project will create a further 500 jobs so this is a very exciting project for the region and it’s was exciting to be on-site today,” Minister Farmer said.
According to the Minister, this will also be a significant step towards deploying large-scale energy storage capability, allowing more renewable energy to enter the national power market.
“This Kidston Project is one of many renewable energy projects underway in Queensland that will support the state’s transition to a low carbon economy,” Minister Farmer stated.
The Minister highlighted the need to ensure Queensland has the right employees in the right places to take advantage of these opportunities and the need to have strategies in place to guarantee that happens to make the most of opportunities such as Kidston Hydro Project.
Minister Farmer stated that the Department of Employment, Small Business, and Training is responsible for creating a Future Energy Workforce Roadmap.
“The Future Energy Workforce Roadmap is a key action out of the Queensland Workforce Strategy and the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan,” the Minister added.
According to her, the Roadmap will identify opportunities to grow and develop workforce capacity and capability while also ensuring Queensland has the necessary training in place in the right places to enable greater possibilities for regional workers to get jobs in the energy sector.
“It will give visibility to the skills needed in the future energy sector and the career pathways available and consider practical ways to address potential skills shortages in key areas of the energy sector,” the Minister said.
Minister Farmer stated the Future Energy Workforce Roadmap would supplement the larger Queensland Workforce Strategy, which is structured on three pillars to connect, educate, and recruit the state’s workforce to ensure the state’s sustained success, and includes an emphasis on Skilling Queenslanders now and in the future.
“Along with the Hydrogen Industry Workforce Development Roadmap 2022-2032 announced in July, this work will help to ensure Queenslanders are well placed to maximise the economic opportunities presented by the renewable energy and hydrogen industries,” Minister Farmer added.
The Minister said the Queensland Workforce Strategy works to ensure that the state has the workforce it needs to promote growth, enhance communities, and remain at the forefront of emerging economic opportunities.
Assistant Minister for Hydrogen Development and the 50% Renewable Energy Target by 2030 Lance McCallum stated that the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan establishes the foundation for pumped hydro to help Queenslanders create a future with less expensive, more secure energy.
“As we race towards 70% renewable energy in Queensland by 2032, pumped hydro provides the firming capacity needed to power good jobs in new regional industries,” Assistant Minister McCallum said.
According to Assistant Minister McCallum, experts concur that pumped hydro and renewable energy enable Queensland to break free and stand on its own two feet, while high global fossil fuel markets are driving record prices in our energy system.
“Importantly under our plan, the power will not go out, because it’s a plan that serves people, not profits,” Assistant Minister McCallum added.
By early 2025, the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project and its related transmission infrastructure are projected to be finished and fed into the national power market.
