The Hells Gates Dam business case remains on track and is looking at an April 2022 delivery date, according to Townsville Enterprise Limited.
The North Queensland economic development organisation is the project manager for the $24 million business case for the Upper Burdekin irrigation scheme that if built, is described as redefining agriculture in the state's north.
A $2.2 million feasibility study in 2018 confirmed the viability of the $5.35 billion irrigated agricultural and hydro power project watering up to 50,000ha of land for high value crops.
A month later the federal government committed $54 million towards phase one of the project, which included $30 million for the first stage of Big Rocks Weir at Charters Towers, an amount since matched by the state government, plus the money for the detailed Hells Gates Dam business case.
TEL interim CEO Wayde Chiesa said the project consisted of a series of three weirs downstream with pumping stations and channels as well as the main dam.
The southernmost of these, Big Rocks Weir at Charters Towers, was identified in the feasibility study as the logical first stage of the Hells Gates Dam proposal.
In a statement put out last week, TEL said it had made considerable progress since signing the grant deed with the state government late in October 2019.
The business case is over the halfway mark, with the geotechnical drilling ticked off and environmental impact statement field work and cultural heritage surveys progressing.
The geotechnical drillings included 15 boreholes at dam and weir sites, to a maximum depth of 173m.
Cores from these are now being analysed to inform design plans.
The EIS field work covered 250,000ha across the proposed project area and looked at water quality, geomorphology, hydrology, sediment transport, terrestrial ecology, and social impact.
The reference design of the dam, weirs and irrigation has begun, and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation process has been submitted to the federal government and is awaiting the Coordinator-General's terms of reference.
Also completed is the Hells Gates pumped hydro storage feasibility report, which according to the TEL statement, has the ability to be a stand-alone project.
According to Mr Chiesa, it has the potential to deliver "green, sustainable and reliable energy at peak periods of demand", while the report said it met the green energy requirements for both state and federal government.
As well as demonstrating a strong financial ratio and interest, it would harness the full use of current solar farms.
Cultural heritage surveys have been conducted in the project area, which archaelogists and cultural heritage consultants were reviewing.
TEL thanked the Gudjala and Gugu Badhun peoples for their assistance, along with adjacent landowners.
As well as completing work on the reference design, EIS and preliminary cultural heritage reports, economic and social impacts are being investigated and analysed to continue development of the business case.
It has been funded by the federal government through the North Queensland Water Infrastructure Authority and is managed by the state government though the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water.
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