Kidston Dam
Dam in north west Queensland, Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kidston Dam, also known as the Copperfield Dam, is a dam and clean energy hub, located in Lyndhurst, in the Shire of Etheridge, in North-western Queensland, Australia.[1] Situated approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) north of Hughenden and 270 kilometres (170 mi) north-west of Townsville, the dam crosses the Copperfield River and was built for the Kidston Gold Mine. The resultant reservoir has a capacity of 20,600 megalitres (730×106 cu ft).[2] The gold mine was abandoned in July 2001.
| Kidston Dam | |
|---|---|
  Kidston Dam Location of the dam in Queensland | |
 Interactive map of Kidston Dam | |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Lyndhurst, Shire of Etheridge, North-western Queensland |
| Coordinates | 19°02′07″S 144°07′25″E |
| Purpose | Industrial water supply |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | c. 1980s |
| Owner | Queensland Government |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Copperfield River |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 20,600 ML (730×106 cu ft) |
| Catchment area | 1,233 km2 (476 sq mi) |
| Kidston Pumped Storage Project (K2-Hydro) | |
| Operator | Genex Power |
| Commission date | 2025 |
| Type | Pumped storage |
| Turbines | 2 |
| Installed capacity | 250 MW (340,000 hp) |
| Storage capacity | 8 hours |
| 2025 generation | 2,000 MWh (7,200 GJ) [upon completion] |
Following close of the mine, a 50-megawatt (67,000 hp) solar farm (KS1) was completed in 2017; and, in 2025, a 250-megawatt (340,000 hp) hydroelectric power station (K2-Hydro) was commissioned. A 270-megawatt (360,000 hp) hybrid wind farm (K3-Hybrid) is also planned as part of the Kidston Clean Energy Hub, expected to be commissioned from 2028.[3] The hub is operated by Genex Power.
History
This storage and associated pipeline was built to supply water to the Kidston Goldmine in the early 1980s on the Copperfield River, a tributary of the Einasleigh River in the Gilbert River catchment. The dam was one of the first dams built in Australia using the roller compacted concrete technique.
At the closure of the mine in 2001, the dam was handed back to the Queensland Government and is managed by the Queensland Department of Energy and Water Supply (DEWS). Downstream properties receive water via a pipeline which was built to supply the mine and associated township. There is also a local arrangement to release water (towards the end of winter) to fill downstream waterholes. This allows riparian properties access to water for stock and domestic use until the coming wet season.
Kidston Clean Energy Hub
Operated by Genex Power, the Kidston Clean Energy Hub comprises major clean energy technologies including a large-scale solar farm, a pumped hydro energy storage, and a planned hybrid wind farm with battery storage.[3][4] A 187-kilometre (116 mi) 132-kV single-circuit transmission line connects the co-located facilities within the hub to the national grid via a substation at Mount Fox, near Townsville.[5][6][7] Following completion of the solar farm and during the planning for the hydro-pumped storage facility, the project signed a ten-year power purchase agreement with EnergyAustralia in 2020,[8] backed by a $610-million loan from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, and a $47-million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
Solar farm
The Kidston Solar Project (KS1) is a 50-megawatt (67,000 hp) solar farm on the former mine's tailings heap. It has been generating electricity into the National Electricity Market (NEM) since December 2017.[3]
Hydroelectric power station
The Kidston Pumped Storage Project (K2-Hydro) is a 250-megawatt (340,000 hp) hydro-pumped storage that was commissioned in 2025.[3]
In 2016, it was suggested that the Kidston Dam was a suitable source to adapt for pumped storage hydroelectricity in order to match supply and demand between the solar farm and the national grid.[9] The following year, additional solar power capacity was recommended, with an annual estimate of 2,000 megawatt-hours (7,200 GJ) of pumped storage, at an expected cost of $330 million.[10] Completion was initially expected by 2024[11] at a cost of A$777 million.[12] The upper reservoir for the hydro-pumped storage holds 3.75 million cubic metres (132×106 cu ft) of water as active storage, and 1.03 million cubic metres (36×106 cu ft) as extended storage. The lower reservoir holds 3.25 million cubic metres (115×106 cu ft) of water as active storage, and 1.5 million cubic metres (53×106 cu ft) as extended storage. There is an average drop of 200 metres (660 ft) between the two reservoirs, ranging from 181 to 218 metres (594 to 715 ft).
Wind farm
The Kidston Hybrid Project (K3-Hybrid) is a planned 150-megawatt (200,000 hp) grid battery, along with a 120-megawatt (160,000 hp) wind farm. If built, it is expected that the wind farm will generate 600 megawatt-hours (2,200 GJ) per annum. As of April 2025[update], the project was being considered for feasibility and financing.[3]
Fishing
The area is popular with recreational fisherman. In recent years the dam has seen an exponential growth in the redclaw population.[13] Access for fishing boats is via a steep dirt and rock boat ramp next to the dam wall. In 2017, DEWS installed 14 safety warning sign buoys, approximately 100 metres (330 ft) off the dam wall, to alert waterway users of the danger of overtopping the overflow spillway.
