ACEN Australia begins geotechnical work at Phoenix Pumped Hydro Project

ACEN Australia begins geotechnical work at Phoenix Pumped Hydro Project
(photo courtesy ACEN)

ACEN Australia reported it has begun carrying out geotechnical investigations for the proposed 810 MW Phoenix Pumped Hydro Project in New South Wales, Australia.

These investigations include drilling, excavation of test pits, and in situ and laboratory testing. They are an important step in the project design and help the company to understand the subsurface geological condition of the site, according to a release.

The Phoenix Pumped Hydro project, located at Burrendong Dam near Wellington, will provide storage for up to 12 continuous hours of electricity generation.

In December 2022, Hydro Review reported that the NSW Government had pledged an AUD$7 million (US$4.7 million) grant to support feasibility studies for the Phoenix Pumped Hydro station. At that time, the Phoenix Pumped Hydro project was expected to be operational by 2030. It will play a key role in providing dispatchable, long-duration storage to support energy market security, the government said.

The project is being supported by the NSW Government through WaterNSW’s Renewable Energy and Storage Program and also through $7 million in feasibility study funding by EnergyCo under its Pumped Hydro Recoverable Grants Program.

According to the website, the project is targeting an installed capacity of over 800 MW and 12 hours of storage capable of delivering up to 9,600 MWh of energy, and will have purpose built, off-stream, upper and lower storage reservoirs connected by a tunnel or pipeline to a powerhouse containing pump-turbine units.

The project will be subject to environmental and other regulatory approvals.