Australian state approves 300 MW pumped hydro project at former coal mine site

Gloucester Coal, a subsidiary of China-based miner Yancoal Australia, has secured approval from the New South Wales state government in Australia to proceed with the AUD 1.8 billion Stratford Pumped Hydro and Solar Project.

The 300 MW pumped hydro power energy storage (PHES) system, 100 km northwest of Newcastle, will provide 12 hours of long-duration energy storage (LDES), and a 320 MW solar farm to charge the PHES project being built on the former Stratford Coal Mine site.

It will also be capable of producing 400 MW over nine hours, subject to network capacity, according to Yancoal Australia.

The mine closed in 2024 after exhausting its 65 million metric tons of coal reserves, and rehabilitation work is already underway as the site is prepared for redevelopment as the Stratford Renewable Energy Hub (SREH).

The government said the Critical State Significant Infrastructure project is expected to contribute around 13% of New South Wales’ 2034 target of 42 GWh of LDES capacity.

Under the New South Wales Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, another LDES tender round opened in May 2026, seeking 12 GWh of storage capacity, with state targets of 16 GWh by 2030 and 28 GWh by 2034.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said it is the first pumped hydro project to secure final planning approval in NSW in six years.

“It’s a sign of our commitment to a clean energy future and the beginnings of an evolution of jobs and energy generation in the Hunter to power homes and businesses,” Scully said. “Projects like Stratford Pumped Hydro also show how we can make the most of former mining sites and create new jobs and industry which will help to drive the region’s economic growth for decades to come.”

From pv magazine Australia