The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the potential Stratford Renewable Energy Hub (SREH) remains on public exhibition until Tuesday 29th October and we encourage community members and key stakeholders to have their say on the project prior to submissions closing.
The SREH could beneficially use part of the Stratford Mine site to generate more renewable energy for NSW via a pumped hydro scheme and potential solar facility, contributing to the state’s net zero emissions goals – with the NSW Government declaring the potential project Critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI) in July 2024. Additionally, the NSW Government has legislated 16 GWh of long-duration storage (LDS) by 2030 under the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020, with plans to increase the target to 28 GWh by 2034. NSW Energy Minister Penny Sharpe stated, “This is a clear signal for investors that NSW is committed to supporting more long-duration storage—and we’re in it for the long haul.”
As outlined in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) is the central element of the proposed project. The site’s natural topography, land holdings, and proximity to existing electricity transmission infrastructure and demand centres makes it an ideal location for PHES. The project represents a beneficial use of the water that is stored in the mine voids. Compared to other pumped hydro systems that are required to draw their water from nearby streams and rivers, this is a significant advantage. The Stratford PHES system has been designed as a ‘closed system’ to allow the water to be reused, while keeping it on-site. The design of the dams will meet stringent requirements of NSW Dam Safety and will be designed and built to the appropriate engineering requirements.
Testing of the water stored in the Stratford East Dam and other mine voids shows similar water quality to groundwater within the local and regional aquifers. Water quality has always been a consideration in the engineering design, including the pump maintenance schedule.
The pumped hydro system is currently being designed to produce approximately 3.6 GWh of energy. This energy storage would provide 300 MW for up to 12 hours – equivalent to the daily energy consumption of between 140,000 to 180,000 households. While batteries are a viable option for fast, short-term energy responses, pumped hydro’s strength lies in its ability to provide large-scale, long-duration storage – aligning with the Governments LDS targets. Therefore, this makes PHES a more feasible and cost-effective option for supporting grid-scale renewable energy systems over longer periods of time.
Regardless of whether the project proceeds, our rehabilitation works must be approved by the NSW Government. Once these works are complete, we will maintain and monitor the rehabilitated areas for 10 to 15 years before seeking approval to relinquish our mining leases.