(From left) Yee, seen with Ferrovial managing director for Australia, Antonio Cañete; CIP Australia partner and head Jørn Hammer; and CIP Australia investment director David Baker at the ECI signing ceremony for the Capricornia PHES

 Gamuda Berhad, in collaboration with Ferrovial under the joint venture GFJV, has signed an early contractor involvement (ECI) agreement with Capricornia Energy Hub (CEH) to advance the Capricornia Pumped Hydroelectric Storage System (PHES) in Central Queensland, Australia.

CEH is owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), one of the world’s leading clean energy investors.

The ECI phase, spanning approximately five months, will focus on developing an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract aimed at delivering the PHES project.

Located about 80km west of Mackay in Central Queensland, this integrated renewable energy and pumped hydro-storage initiative is set to become a cornerstone of Queensland’s future energy landscape.

The project is expected to provide affordable and reliable energy to approximately 900,000 homes across the region.

At the core of the project is a state-of-the-art pumped hydroelectric energy storage system featuring a 750-megawatt (MW) pump and a generation facility capable of delivering continuous power for up to 16 hours.

The system’s total storage capacity will reach 12 gigawatt-hours (GWh) and include an upper off-stream reservoir and a lower reservoir situated around 5km downstream from the existing Eungella Dam.

“This landmark project underscores our commitment to Queensland’s renewable energy future while expanding our presence across Australia.

“We’re proud to be part of such a transformative initiative,” said Gamuda chief executive officer Ewan Yee in highlighting the significance of the project.

His counterpart at Capricornia Energy Hub, John Carr, remarked: “The appointment of ECI partners is a significant milestone for Capricornia Energy Hub as it allows us to draw on Gamuda and Ferrovial’s expertise to design 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.”

Construction of the Capricornia PHES is scheduled to commence next year.

It is anticipated to create approximately 600 jobs at peak construction, and 65 permanent local jobs during its operational phase, contributing significantly to the region’s economic growth and sustainability goals.