Sunshine Hydro has begun construction on the $2 billion ‘Flavian’ pumped hydro and green hydrogen project in Central Queensland’s Renewable Energy Zone.
From 2028, Flavian pumped hydropower will provide reliable energy to the grid, as well as green hydrogen production. To help decarbonize Queensland’s economy, this project will use renewable energy to power local industry and green hydrogen to power heavy trucks.
Sunshine Hydro’s hydropower method entails constructing and connecting an upper and lower water storage system. Water is pumped to the higher storage using renewable energy and then released to flow under gravity through turbines to generate electricity. This energy can be used to power the grid or to produce green hydrogen.
The water is collected in the lower reservoir and is ready to be pumped to the upper reservoir using renewable energy. This is a live demonstration of a green closed loop hydropower system. A superhybrid, which is a unique Sunshine Hydro methodology, is a combination of energy sources within this green energy ecosystem. An Advanced Energy Storage Optimising Program (AESOP) with programmed artificial intelligence manages the superhybrid energy ecosystem.
The AESOP software tool determines the best way to allocate renewable energy at any given time, whether to support the electricity grid, create green hydrogen, or store it for later.
