Five Years of CleanCo: A Milestone in Queensland’s Clean Energy Journey
Published: 31 October 2024
Today we celebrated five years of CleanCo’s commitment to delivering clean energy solutions for Queensland. Since our establishment, we’ve been dedicated to helping customers thrive in a net-zero future, and we’re proud to reflect on the incredible journey that has brought us here. As we celebrate this milestone, we also look ahead to the exciting developments on the horizon.
A Strong Foundation: Our Early Days
CleanCo was created with a clear mission—to support Queensland’s transition to a renewable energy future. In 2019, we began trading in the National Electricity Market, acquiring our foundational assets: Wivenhoe, Barron Gorge, Kareeya, Koombooloomba, and Swanbank. These assets laid the groundwork for what has become an impressive clean energy portfolio.
The following year, we celebrated a major achievement with the signing of our first customer and the generation of over 1,200 GWh between 2019 and 2020.
Accelerating Our Impact
In just five years, CleanCo’s impact has grown exponentially. Since signing our first power purchase agreement (PPA) with the MacIntyre Wind Farm for 400 MW, we’ve made incredible strides. Today, CleanCo has generated more than 10,000 GWh of clean energy, signed five PPAs, and secured nearly 2.3 GW of projects in Central Queensland. We’ve also created the Swanbank Clean Energy Hub and begun construction on our first big battery, further solidifying our role as a key player in the state’s clean energy transformation.
Beyond energy, CleanCo is committed to the communities we serve. We’ve directed over $150,000 to support community initiatives, welcomed 24 new customers, and grown our team to over 300 passionate employees.
Strategy and Growth Pipeline
CleanCo’s new enterprise strategy sets bold goals to lead Queensland’s renewable energy transition. We aim to service 20% of the state’s energy market with a diverse 5 GW fleet of wind and solar, supported by gas, hydro, and energy storage.
Sustainability and net-zero targets remain central to everything we do. We are committed to delivering positive social and environmental outcomes for our people, customers, and communities. Driving this transformation will be our diverse and connected team, operational excellence, and a focus on digital transformation.
Celebrating Our People
None of our success would be possible without the incredible people who make up CleanCo. Our team’s dedication and passion for renewable energy is the driving force behind our achievements. Together, we are shaping a cleaner, more sustainable future for Queensland.
Happy five years to us!
Wivenhoe Pumped Hydro Smashes Generation Record
Published: 27 September, 2024
- Wivenhoe Power Station has set a new generation record in Q3 2024, surpassing all previous records since its commissioning in 1984.
- The station’s two pumped hydro units have generated 199GWh since 1 July 2024, which is around 5.2 times the station’s historical quarterly average.
- Wivenhoe’s ability to store excess solar energy during the day and discharge it during peak demand in the evening and overnight demonstrates the importance of pumped hydro in Queensland’s clean energy future
CleanCo’s Wivenhoe Power Station has set a new quarterly generation record, surpassing all previous production milestones since the station began operating in 1984—and all before the third quarter of 2024 even ended.
The two pumped hydro units at Wivenhoe have generated an impressive 199GWh since 1 July 2024, exceeding the station’s historical quarterly average by more than 5.2 times. This performance highlights the increasing value of pumped hydro in Queensland’s evolving energy landscape, where renewable generation is increasing rapidly.
Wivenhoe’s capability to store excess solar energy during the day and discharge it during the evening peak and overnight has proven to be a crucial tool for balancing supply and demand. By capturing surplus solar generation and delivering it when demand is highest, Wivenhoe is putting downward pressure on electricity prices and ensuring Queensland’s electricity supply remains reliable as the state transitions to a clean energy future.
Quotes attributable to CleanCo CEO Tom Metcalfe:
“Wivenhoe is showing exactly why pumped hydro is such a powerful asset in today’s energy market. This station is playing a vital role in supporting more renewable energy in Queensland, and this new generation record underscores the importance of continued investment in clean energy solutions.
“As Queensland looks to a net zero future, CleanCo continues to deliver energy solutions that support the growth of renewable generation and ensure our customers have access to reliable, low-emission energy to support their decarbonisation journey.”
FAST FACTS
- Wivenhoe Pumped Hydro was commissioned in 1984
- Wivenhoe Power Station holds two Francis type turbines and at 285MW each, they are Australia’s largest, weighing an incredible 1,500 tonnes each.
- Wivenhoe Hydro acts like one giant rechargeable battery, with the ability to quickly generate electricity with the capacity to support up to 10 hours of continuous power generation.
CleanCo media contact – Lincoln Howe 0422 678 188 / Erin Oram 0431 089 686
Powering up: Barron Gorge Hydro back online after Cyclone Jasper
Published: July 8, 2024
Six months after Tropical Cyclone Jasper wreaked havoc on Far North Queensland, publicly owned CleanCo has today announced that Barron Gorge Hydro Power Station is back online, producing clean energy for Queensland.
In December, just weeks after celebrating its 60th birthday, the hydro power station was swiftly taken offline due to the inundation of water in the Barron River following Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
Extremely high water levels in the Barron River caused significant damage to critical infrastructure at the Kuranda Weir which stores water required for power generation.
Over the past six months, which were some of the wettest in recent memory, CleanCo has carried out critical infrastructure works at the Kuranda Weir. The completion of a temporary rock wall, or coffer dam, has now reinstated the function of the weir and enabled the power station to come back online.
It also provides safe access for the next phase in the recovery which includes the construction of a weather resilient, permanent concrete wall at the weir.
While the power station has been offline, CleanCo has put maintenance and safety at the top of the list, conducting inspections and cleaning key power station infrastructure, as well as undertaking significant testing of generation units ahead of the station’s return to service.
Over the course of the recovery, CleanCo has worked closely with a range of local stakeholders including tourism operators impacted by the cyclone and damage to infrastructure, the local councils and disaster management groups, and the local community. The Traditional Owners, the Djabugay People, have provided Cultural Heritage advice and monitoring at key stages throughout the works, and will continue to be involved in the ongoing recovery efforts.
Barron Gorge Hydro Power Station is back online, bolstering Queensland’s renewable energy supply following devastating destruction caused by severe weather in Far North Queensland.
CleanCo has focussed on safety and severe weather resilience as it has worked to bring the 60-year-old generator back into service.
CleanCo is working closely with locals, traditional owners and impacted stakeholders to ensure the safety and protection of people and the environment.
As weather events in the Far North become more frequent and more severe, a major focus on the recovery has been around improving resilience at the power station to support the station’s generation for another 60 years.
Quotes attributable to CleanCo Customer and Energy Markets General Manager Rimu Nelson:
“We are incredibly proud of the work that has gone into getting this critical infrastructure back online.
“While the weather in the Far North has proved challenging at times, the team has remained steadfast in getting the job done.
“We understand how important it is to bring the community along on a journey such as this and we are deeply thankful to the local community for their ongoing patience with the increased heavy traffic and works at the weir.
“We are also very pleased that local tourism operators, like Kuranda Riverboat and Cairns Adventure Group, who rely on the Barron River for their livelihoods can now resume operations.
“Safety is at the forefront of everything we do here at CleanCo, and we will continue to ensure the safety of our project team, contractors and locals as we build back better during the next phase of construction.”
Quotes attributable to Roderic Rees, Cairns Adventure Group:
“We have been operating water-based adventure tours in the Cairns region since 1986. We are invested in the future of our people, our place, and the World Heritage Areas within which we are privileged to operate.
“We’re very pleased that CleanCo has been able to complete the enormity of work, on schedule, providing our business certainty around when water will be flowing down the Barron River again, we are immensely proud of the combined efforts that have enabled us to open the Barron River for commercial rafting activities once again.
“The resilience, dedication and passion for community shown by the team at CleanCo has been extraordinary, testament to a great working relationship developed over many years.
“The collective support from Cairns Regional Council, CleanCo, Member for Cairns Michael Healy and Tropical Tourism North Queensland (TTNQ), has been instrumental in reaching this point. Their unwavering commitment to restoring access, infrastructure repair and ensuring water releases has given us the ability to operate safe and fun tours and retain a large portion of our workforce.”
Fast facts
- Barron Gorge Hydro is a 66 MW run-of-river hydro power station that supplies clean energy to Queensland.
- CleanCo has so far engaged with over 30 local stakeholder groups throughout the project.
- CleanCo is engaging with over 60 local households directly impacted by increased traffic or water level risk.