ZEN Energy is proposing to turn degraded coal industry land at Nattai on the escarpment above Lake Burragorang into a 1GW pumped hydro project, delivering on-demand electricity to the equivalent of 500,000 homes and businesses.
Sydney’s biggest water storage source, Lake Burragorang, is slated to be home to the Western Sydney Pumped Hydro project, which ZEN says will be able to store and supply up to eight continuous hours of ‘firming’ energy.
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Located 24km away from Warragamba Dam and drinking water treatment, the project will also be mostly underground: pumping water from Lake Burragorang through tunnels to a reservoir located on the former coal industry land. When demand is high, water is released to drive underground turbines and send renewable power into the electricity grid.
Coal was mined from the Burragorang Valley from 1930 to 1992 and the project site was used as a coal washery, operated by Burragorang Valley Coal, until 2001 and since then undergone rehabilitation. The Dunbier family, which owned the company, is now partnering with ZEN to turn the site’s fossil fuel past into being part of the state’s clean energy future.
Numerous studies, consultation and co-design with Traditional Owners, local residents and other stakeholders will now occur. If all approvals and a social licence are secured, construction could begin in 2027 and be operational by 2031.
Initial studies have established that the project would have no detrimental impact on water quality or cause any change to water levels in Lake Burragorang, including no flooding of the shoreline and surrounding natural environment. This was critical to securing WaterNSW’s approval for ZEN to progress the project.
“The vast water reserves of Lake Burragorang can supply Sydneysiders with clean drinking water and clean, renewable energy as well,” ZEN CEO Anthony Garnaut said.
“Large-scale energy storage projects like Western Sydney Pumped Hydro are key to keeping the lights on and energy prices in check in NSW as our coal-fired power stations age and retire over the next decade.”
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Consultation with key stakeholders, particularly Traditional Owner representatives has already begun.
“ZEN is committed to, and looking forward to, sharing and shaping the project design and its benefits with locals, Traditional Owners, Wollondilly Council, and other interested and important stakeholders,” Garnaut said.
