Documents Regarding The Underground Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project - Final Report.

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A geotechnical and hydraulic assessment report prepared by the University of Newcastle for an underground pumped hydro energy storage project evaluated the feasibility of using goafed longwall coal mine panels as lower storage reservoirs. The report, commissioned by Banpu Energy Australia, examined porosity and hydraulic conductivity of longwall goafs through experimental approaches and hydraulic simulations. Key findings acknowledge significant uncertainties: goaf characteristics are poorly understood, locally specific, and heterogeneous; the spatial distribution of porosity and hydraulic conductivity is unknown; and impacts of cyclic flooding and drainage cycles on compressed goaf material remain undocumented. The assessment notes these were exploratory findings based on limited observations from Mandalong mine, with attempts to derive generally applicable outcomes despite substantial knowledge gaps about this hazardous and complex mining environment.