BHP : Taking a closer look at Pumped Hydro at the Mt Arthur Coal site

17 June 2024

Our aspiration is to deliver sustainable landforms and land uses which can provide a positive legacy for generations to come post the closure of Mt Arthur Coal in 2030.

As we have said from the beginning, Mt Arthur Coal's closure must not only generate positive environmental outcomes, it must also ensure we do our part to ensure Muswellbrook remains a thriving community where many people want to live and work.

The scale of the land (7,000+ hectares), the existing infrastructure of the mine and operation, the proximity to rail and other industry represents an opportunity for the Upper Hunter post 2030.

As part of our future land use assessment, we're taking a closer look at renewables, in particular Pumped Hydro. A pumped hydro project at Mt Arthur Coal could generate power for up to 500,000 homes every day, and deliver jobs during construction and beyond.

We will keep you updated on this work as it progresses, along with other land-use and rehabilitation work that's underway.

How pumped hydro works:

• Stored water runs downhill to spin a turbine to generate electricity, usually through the night when other renewable energy sources are not available (eg, solar and wind).
• During the day, when there is plenty of energy in the system (due to wind and solar being available), water is pumped back up to the upper reservoir.
• This means that there is energy available 24 hours per day to run things like your fridge during the night

For more on what might be possible, watch this short video.