The SA Government has provided $4.7 million in funding to the Altura Group and project partner Delta Electricity for final development phase activities for the pumped hydro energy storage Goat Hill Project.
The 230MW/1840MWh project, located 12km west of Port Augusta will involve an investment of approximately $410 million and create about 200 jobs during construction.
Altura Group Director, Rosahlena Robinson, said the project was in the final development phase to support an investment decision during 2018.
“The high level of current and future renewable generation in South Australia is ideally complemented by pumped hydro that can meet not only short-term capacity needs, but also sustained energy requirements,” Ms Robinson said.
The project is the most advanced project proposal of this technology type.
Altura Group and project partner Delta Electricity said they look forward to continuing to work with the SA Government, community and business partners supporting the final development phase activities, to bring this new project to the state.
The funding announcement is the latest in a string of renewable energy projects underway in SA.
In July 2017, Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, announced his company would use a $20 million grant from the Renewable Technology Fund to build the world’s largest lithium-ion battery(100MW/129MWh) at Neoen’s Hornsdale Wind Farm in the state’s Mid-North.
A month later, in August 2017, global company SolarReserve announced it would build a 150MW/1100MWh solar thermal power plant near Port Augusta.
Most recently, the South Australian Government announced it was partnering with Tesla to create the world’s largest Virtual Power Plant, linking up as many as 50,000 households with solar panels and batteries to create a 250MW power plant.
