The Queensland state government has stepped in to effectively guarantee the delivery of the 258MW Kidston wind farm that will form a crucial part of the country’s first solar, wind and pumped hydro project.
The state government on Friday declared the Kidston wind farm to be a “prescribed project”, which will give it priority in development approvals, effectively ensuring its delivery.
It will be a key part of Kidston Clean Energy Hub, which includes the already operating 50MW Kidston solar farm, and the 250MW, eight hour pumped hydro project which is under construction.
Acting premier Steven Miles says the Kidston Clean Energy Hub will be important to strengthen the reliability of the grid in north Queensland, and to help the state reach its newly announced renewable targets of 70 per cent by 2032 and 80 per cent by 2035.
“It will enable generation, storage and dispatch of renewable energy on demand during peak periods, strengthening the reliability of the energy grid for North Queensland communities,” he said, adding that the $295 million wind project will create around 200 construction jobs and 10 permanent jobs.
Genex CEO James Harding said the company had requested the declaration to reflect it importance to the local grid.
“Genex knows how important the Kidston Wind Farm will be for the people of North Queensland, which is why we requested it be declared a prescribed project,” Harding said in a statement.