Arabic version: نيو ساوث ويلز توافق على مشروع ستراتفورد لتخزين الطاقة بالمياه المضغوطة والطاقة الشمسية بقيمة 1.8 مليار دولار
A $1.8 billion pumped hydro and solar project has been approved for the Stratford site in the Gloucester Valley, the New South Wales government has announced. According to ABC News, the project is pitched as capable of powering up to 120,000 homes and was approved by NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully.
The proposal from Gloucester Coal, a Yancoal subsidiary, outlines a 300-megawatt pumped hydro station with 12 hours of energy storage paired with a 320-megawatt solar farm. Planning documents say surplus daytime energy would be stored and released during peak evening demand by transferring water through a tunnel between a new upper reservoir in bushland and an existing dam, with solar panels powering pumps to move the water.
Local economic effects were highlighted in the approval documents. The project is expected to support about 350 construction jobs and roughly 10 ongoing positions, a notable development for a community that lost mining employment when the coal operation ended in 2024. Yancoal has said it will assess the commercial viability of the plan and examine preferred ownership, funding and operating models.
Why this matters: the development is forecast to contribute around 13 per cent of NSW’s 2034 long-duration storage target and is presented by planners and experts as a way to provide capacity during fluctuating demand periods. The site’s existing mine infrastructure and proximity to a mountain range were cited by the proponent as making the location suitable for pumped hydro conversion. Specialists quoted in planning coverage described a mix of large and medium storage projects as important to the energy system and noted pumped hydro’s land-use advantages compared with other options.
What happens next: Yancoal will progress assessments of commercial viability and consider ownership, funding and operating arrangements subject to board approval while advancing mine closure activities at Stratford and Duralie in line with regulatory and community expectations. Planning approval does not guarantee the project will proceed, and the company’s future decisions will determine whether the scheme moves into construction.
Related sections: Australia/استراليا | New South Wales | General | Economy/اقتصاد
