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PETALING JAYA: Gamuda Bhd, in a joint venture with Ferrovial (GFJV), has inked an early contractor involvement (ECI) agreement with Capricornia Energy Hub (CEH) for its Capricornia pumped hydroelectric storage system (PHES) in Central Queensland, Australia.
CEH is owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), one of the world’s largest clean energy investors.
In a statement, Gamuda said the ECI phase would take around five months to develop an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract to deliver the PHES.
“Construction of PHES is expected to begin in 2026 and would create an estimated 600 jobs during peak construction and 65 local jobs during commercial operations,” it said.
Gamuda said that the PHES, which is located approximately 80 km west of Mackay in Central Queensland, would play an important role in Queensland’s future energy mix and provide affordable and reliable energy for around 900,000 Queensland homes.
The system also included a 750 MW pump and a generation facility capable of delivering power continuously for 16 hours.
“With a total storage capacity of 12 GWh, the system would include an upper off-stream reservoir and a lower reservoir which is approximately 5km downstream from the existing Eungella dam,” it said.
Gamuda CEO Ewan Yee said the landmark project underscores their commitment to Queensland’s renewable energy future while expanding our presence across Australia.
Meanwhile, CEH CEO John Carr said the appointment of ECI partners is a significant milestone for Capricornia Energy Hub as it allows them to draw on Gamuda’s and Ferrovial’s expertise to design a cost-effective pumped hydro.
“We look forward to working with our ECI partners and their strong regional networks to unlock more opportunities for local contractors and support the local supply chain,” he said.