EDF Power Solutions Australia has announced that the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Lake Lyell pumped storage hydro project is on public exhibition to 28 April 2026, inviting submissions via the New South Wales Planning Portal.
The developer is encouraging community members and stakeholders to review the detailed assessment and participate in the consultation process, with a series of local pop-up events and information sessions scheduled across Lithgow to support engagement and provide guidance on submissions.
Located on Wiradjuri Country near Lithgow in New South Wales, Lake Lyell pumped hydro is designed to deliver 385 MW of long-duration energy storage with a storage duration of up to eight hours, supporting grid reliability and Australia’s renewable energy transition.
The scheme is configured around an upper reservoir to be constructed behind the southern ridge of Mount Walker and the existing Lake Lyell as the lower reservoir, connected via an underground waterway system to a subsurface powerhouse housing reversible pump-turbine units approximately 170 m below ground level.
With an installed capacity of 385MW and around 3080MWh of storage, the project is designed for eight-hour discharge cycles, with operational modelling indicating daily lake level fluctuations of approximately 2.5 m in the lower reservoir during typical cycling.
The development leverages existing transmission infrastructure and a legacy cooling-water reservoir originally constructed for nearby thermal generation, avoiding the need for new transmission corridors.
The underground configuration, combined with a purpose-built upper reservoir and closed-loop cycling between reservoirs, positions the project within the emerging class of long-duration pumped storage schemes being developed to provide firming capacity and system services in Australia’s transitioning grid.
The EIS exhibition represents a significant milestone in the planning pathway, providing detailed studies on environmental, social and technical aspects of the project. Feedback gathered during this period will inform the assessment process led by New South Wales planning authorities.
Community consultation remains a central component of the project’s development, with EDF Power Solutions Australia emphasising opportunities for local input throughout the exhibition window.
