Wedoany.com Report on Feb 9th, The New South Wales government has designated two pumped hydro projects as critical State Significant Infrastructure, with a total investment of approximately AUD 7 billion. Once completed, these projects will provide power support to over 1 million households during peak electricity demand periods.

The designated pumped hydro projects include the Western Sydney project at Lake Burragorang and the Yarrabin project near Mudgee. The former is being developed by ZEN Energy with an investment of AUD 3.5 billion and is expected to supply power to 500,000 households. The latter is managed by ACEN Australia with an investment of AUD 3.6 billion and is projected to cover 600,000 households.

Both pumped hydro projects are currently in the early planning stages and are located on land managed by WaterNSW. The projects will still need to undergo a comprehensive assessment process, including public exhibitions and community feedback collection.

Penny Sharpe, New South Wales Minister for Energy and Environment, stated: "These pumped hydro projects will help stabilize grid operations, ensure reliable energy supply during peak demand periods, and facilitate the transition to a cleaner energy mix." She also emphasized: "Long-duration energy storage technology plays a crucial role in building a modern energy system that serves households, businesses, and industries."

As a mature energy storage technology, pumped hydro stores and releases electricity by utilizing the potential energy of water. The advancement of these projects will support New South Wales in achieving its clean energy development goals and provide infrastructure safeguards for regional energy security.