The state government is planning an energy "super hub" in north Queensland that will include large-scale solar and wind farms to generate the power needed to produce green hydrogen.
Stretching from the inland town of Hughenden to Townsville, the project is designed to feed the electricity grid in Queensland's northwest.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the government would partner with Fortescue Future Industries and Windlab to construct the first stage.
It will involve an 800-megawatt wind farm in Prairie and a 1,000-megawatt project at Wongalee near Hughenden.
"What we're talking about is 10 gigawatts — which is the size of all the renewable investment currently in New Zealand," Ms Palaszczuk said.
Hydrogen to head offshore
Ms Palaszczuk said there was interest in the use of hydrogen domestically and there was also interest from Japan and South Korea about purchasing hydrogen.
The projects are in the detailed planning stage and will be submitted for development approval, with construction slated for 2025 and completion by 2027 if approved.
The government said it would create 240 construction jobs and up to 15 permanent jobs.
Maximising potential
Townsville Enterprise, the region's peak economic development organisation, praised the project, which formed part of the state government's 10-year energy plan.
"We've never seen an announcement like that anywhere in terms of one proponent putting so much effort into the development of the north," chief executive Claudia Brumme-Smith said.
"800 megawatts would power 250,000 homes in north Queensland so this is 10 times more than we need.
"This will go either into the production of hydrogen and then therefore also into export or — if we had transmission lines — it would be able to be transmitted down south."
Ms Brumme-Smith said committing to CopperString 2.0 – a $1.7 billion, 1,000 kilometre high-voltage network line between Townsville and Mount Isa – would allow the super hub to meet its potential.
"Ultimately what we don't want is those wind and solar farms sitting idle and not able to transmit that power back to Townsville and beyond," Ms Brumme-Smith said.
Priority for workforce
Flinders Shire Council Mayor Jane McNamara welcomed the jobs the project would create in the region.
"The Flinders Shire is very blessed to actually have a very good wind solar ratio within the Australian wind results, so that's why this area is being highlighted as being part of the super hub," she said.
"We'd hope that some of our school leavers would be looking to the future and think about getting jobs within the renewable energy sphere."
Ms McNamara said the super hub would support the Kennedy Energy Park, which was producing power with 12 wind turbines, solar panels and battery storage.
But she said finding housing for the incoming specialist workforce would be the next challenge for the council, which was considering developing donger-type accommodation and two and three-bedroom homes in Hughenden.
