Work will start early next year on a multi-million dollar electrical infrastructure package to fire up Genex's Kidston Hydro project.
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Queensland Government would support Kidston with up to $132 million supporting 500 construction jobs.
Powerlink will build a single circuit transmission line from Genex's Kidston site to Mount Fox near Ingham, linking the hinterland to the National Electricity Market.
"North Queensland has high quality wind and hydro-electric resources and providing transmission connection is the key to sparking investment in these resources," the Premier said.
"This infrastructure will support the development of a clean energy hub in the North, providing jobs, investment and energy security."
Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad said the government's investment in Kidston reinforced the growing role that renewable energy is playing in meeting electricity demand right across Eastern Australia.
"What's needed now is the means to connect these emission-free projects to the grid and get the power to where it's needed," Ms Trad said.
"In the absence of a Federal energy policy, Queensland is once again doing the heavy lifting by backing projects like Genex at Kidston."
The federal government has however loaned $600m to the project via the NAIF.
Detailed planning is expected to start soon, with work to start on site early next year after the wet season to connect 250MW of pumped hydro capacity into the North Queensland electricity network.
The Government said it has also invested $1.18 million for further feasibility work on the Copperstring proposal for a privately-owned electricity transmission line connecting Mount Isa and the North West Minerals Province's processing and mining projects to the grid.
The Government said its Powering North Queensland Plan commits to investing in strategic transmission infrastructure to encourage renewable energy in North and North West Queensland.
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