How does the CWQIP align to the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan?

The Central and Western Queensland Infrastructure Plan (CWQIP) is informed and aligns with key State Government Plans.

The Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan (QEJP) will play a pivotal role in the energy transformation and decarbonisation of Central and Western Queensland’s regional economy.

The QEJP provides a framework for strategic energy infrastructure investment in the region and for the creation of new jobs in renewables, hydrogen, clean energy manufacturing.

Central Queensland is identified as the energy powerhouse of our state and a location for large-scale renewable investment and component manufacturing to help build Queensland’s SuperGrid.

Powerlink will invest $365 million into the Central Queensland Renewable Energy Zone region to enable up to 3,300 megawatts of new renewable capacity to connect to the grid. The increase in new renewable capacity will reinforce the Gladstone grid and help establish the Banana Range Renewable Energy Zone and Fitzroy Renewable Energy Zone.

The QEJP will underpin Queensland’s decarbonisation pathway, with the CWQIP forming a focal point for collective action and place-based implementation.

The QEJP commits to partnering with regional communities with key initiatives including:

• $200 million Regional Economic Futures Fund to support community and industry development, $90 million for two regional transmission and training hubs and $35 million for a Regional Energy Transformation Partnerships Framework to maximise local benefits
• Boosting the Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund to $4.5 billion (Gladstone and Townsville as major hydrogen hubs) and a commitment up to $20 million for the development of a renewable hydrogen industry
• $4 million to investigate options and pathways to expand bioenergy generation, particularly in regional Queensland
• $500 million for more large-scale grid and community batteries and investment to repurpose publicly owned power stations into clean energy hubs, which may include new generation, storage and firming, or renewable hydrogen assets.

Building Queensland’s SuperGrid will provide opportunities for local manufacturing of components for renewable energy, storage and transmission infrastructure. The Queensland Government has committed to building regional manufacturing capacity by encouraging local content to supply future projects.

Resources

To learn more, visit the Department of Energy and Public Works Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan and sign up to the mailing list to receive updates on your region.

Consultation with communities on key elements of the QEJP are planned over 2022-2023.