Big-T Pumped Hydropower Energy Storage project

Project overview*

EIS status	EIS active
Description	Development of a pumped hydropower energy storage project in the Southern Queensland renewable energy zone with the capacity to generate up to 400 megawatts (MW) of continuous electricity for 10 hours per day, and a battery energy storage system with a capacity of 200 megawatt hours (MWh)
Proponent	BE Power Projects Pty Ltd
Location/s	Approximately 45 km north-east of Toowoomba. Map
Local government/s	Toowoomba Regional Council and Somerset Regional Council
Investment	Up to $1.3 billion
Key features	new upper reservoir on Mt Sevastopol underground water conveyances and intake/outlet infrastructure connecting the water conveyances between the upper reservoir and existing Lake Cressbrook (lower reservoir) underground power station cavern, housing two 200 MW reversible turbines and access tunnel 15 km underground double-circuit 275 kilovolt transmission line evacuation and ventilation tunnel upgrade of Sebastapool Road and new 3 km access road to the tunnel portals and lower intake a battery energy storage system
Construction start date	2024
Jobs	350 (construction) 10 (operational)

* Project information supplied by proponent and subject to change.

Date	Activity
Currently	Draft terms of reference for EIS being prepared.
30 September 2022	Gazettal ( 225 KB) of 'coordinated project' declaration.
15 July 2022	Application, including final initial advice statement ( 8.3 MB), submitted.
22 March 2022	Commonwealth Minister for the Environment decided the project is a ‘controlled action’