The contract – one of several announced this week – is for the main works phase, where most of the construction for the proposed A$14.2bn pumped hydro energy storage project will take place. Main works are scheduled to commence in 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. Queensland Hydro is currently undertaking studies as part of an Environmental Impact Statement.
The Afry-Aurecon JV will also assist Queensland Hydro in the procurement of both the PHES delivery and original equipment manufacturer delivery partners.
Queensland Hydro CEO Kieran Cusack said the partnership marked a milestone for the project.
“Afry-Aurecon JV will advance our front-end engineering design documentation, focusing on the technical elements of the pumped hydro scheme itself – such as the interplay between the turbines, cavern design, tunnel waterway design, and other equipment – ensuring that the Borumba Project is safe, reliable and technically-sound,” he said.
Yesterday Queensland Hydro also announced that Systra had been selected to provide underground technical services and management services in support of the construction of the exploratory tunnels for project.
The scope of the exploratory tunnelling and drilling works contract, over which the underground technical services and management services are focused, is the design and construction of two access tunnels. Site-based works are scheduled to start in the first half of 2025.
Queensland Hydro’s executive general manager of delivery, Geoff Scott, said the partnership with Systra would provide critical independent quality assurance to the project’s underground drilling and tunnelling programme.
“The underground drilling programme is the largest package in our Borumba Project exploratory works phase, and ensuring we have world-class technical expertise is key in delivering safe and reliable works,” said Scott.
Three Queensland companies have also been appointed to undertake surface-level geotechnical drilling for the project.
GeoDrill Australia, Tier 1 Drilling and SJ Drilling will provide a combined A$25m worth of drilling once Queensland Hydro has received the necessary regulatory approvals for the works.
Queensland Hydro has also named Water2Wire Joint Venture (JV) as the dams designer delivery partner. The GHD, Mott MacDonald and Stantec joint venture will be responsible for leading the engineering and design for the project’s seven proposed dams:
The Borumba Pumped Hydro project, located at Lake Borumba, 180km north of Brisbane, will provide up to 2,00MW of electricity for 24 hours with a storage capacity of 48,000MWh. It will include an underground power station and pump turbines, and underground tunnels to transfer water between the upper and lower reservoirs, as well as cable and access tunnels.
In December last year, Queensland Hydro opened expressions of interest for the tunnelling works. The tunnel drilling package will involve the excavation of soil and rock using controlled blast and drilling methods, rather than TBM, to form a D-shaped tunnel leading to the proposed site of the underground powerhouse cavern.
