Innovation fuels groundbreaking solutions in Far North Queensland

Innovation fuels groundbreaking solutions in Far North Queensland
How the SX12 Total Station became invaluable to a goldmine turned hydro project

When innovation and teamwork lead the way, even the most unconventional challenges can yield remarkable results. That was precisely the case for MinStaff Survey during a recent project in rural Queensland. Known for their expertise across mining, construction, infrastructure, and urban development in Australia and internationally, the team was well-equipped to take on the task. Their latest endeavour, the Kidston Pumped Hydro Storage Project (K2H) is a pioneering initiative, utilising an abandoned gold mine in the heart of Far North Queensland.

From Gold Mine to Green Power:

A site with rich history

The Kidston Goldmine, once home to North Queensland’s last major alluvial gold rush, the 1907 Oaks Gold Rush, has a storied past.

The gold fields, located in the Etheridge Shire, 48km south of Einasleigh along the Copperfield River, encompassed 1,500km2. The Oaks diggings, known locally as “The Knobs,” was only 5km2, with a mining population of over 1,700 in its prime – almost four times the number of people the township could support.

By August 1908, there were reportedly as many as 180 dry blowers (a machine used to extract gold particles from dry soil without the use of water) in operation on The Knobs. By December 1909, the documented output of the mine reached 19,000oz of gold. In actuality, the true total of gold uncovered at the site would have been significantly higher, as so much went unreported.

After operating intermittently, the Kidston Goldmine was abandoned in 2001. Now, more than two decades later, the gold mine and nearby dam are being revitalised as the foundation of an ambitious renewable energy project – a joint pumped hydro storage project and 270-megawatt solar project in a world first.

Kidston Goldmine:

A major industrial relic, or a unique geological opportunity?

The Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project, known as K2H, is the flagship project of the Kidston Clean Energy Hub, and utilises the abandoned Kidston Goldmine and its surrounding amenities as the base of the hydro project operations.

Co-located with the nearby K2H Wind Energy Project, K2H is notable for several groundbreaking achievements:

The first pumped hydro project in Australia in the last 40 years

The first to be developed by a private sector

The third largest electricity storage device in the country

The world’s first pumped hydro storage project to utilise an abandoned goldmine

The Kidston Pumped Hydro Project (K2H) Dams

Transforming a Gold Mine into a Powerhouse

The K2H project makes use of the existing infrastructure at the Kidston Goldmine and Eldridge Pits, both of which act as the upper and lower water reservoirs of the hydro plant. The project utilises an underground tunnel and reversible turbine generator system between the two pits, as well as the existing water pipeline from the Copperfield Dam.

The area surrounding the gold mine already contained several useable amenities, including existing mining accommodation facilities, solid road access and an operational airstrip, minimising the need for new infrastructure.

Working in tandem with the K2S solar project, electricity generated during the day is used to pump water from the lower to the upper reservoir. Then during morning and evening peak periods, the water is released back down, generating clean, dispatchable energy. This cycle continues each day, with grid electricity used to pump the water back into the upper reservoir overnight, ready for the following day.

The hydro plant boasts a storage generation capacity of 250MW for up to 8 hours, with a ramp up time of less than 30 seconds, making it a fast-responding and reliable energy source.

The SX12 Total Station used for hard rock tunnelling on Kidston Hydro Project.

Using the Trimble SX12 Total Station for hard rock tunnelling

The Trimble SX12 Total Station meets the challenge by merging innovative technology with intuitive functionality to maximise efficiency in collecting, processing, and delivering accurate site data.

On the K2H project, the SX12 streamlines the tunnelling cycle at several key stages. After bogging, it provides a complete snapshot of the tunnel face for quick, on-the-spot “tight” checks and immediate feedback on cut overbreak and underbreaks. Once the face is scaled and prepared, the tunnelling app is used to mark up the design for the next cut. After shotcreting and bolting is completed, a final scan is conducted. This created a predictable, repeatable workflow that ensures consistent design alignment and minimises delays.

The data from these scans is invaluable. With clear mapping of strata, bolt placement, and ground support, the team can confidently inspect and validate structural integrity and alignment. This rich visual data is used to create details inspection maps and generate comprehensive excavation and shotcrete reports for client review.

The daily applications of the SX12 on critical surveying tasks on the K2H project include:

Marking the face of each new tunnel cut
Verifying excavation “tights” after blasting and bogging
Scanning excavation and shotcrete surfaces after the jumbo has scaled the cut

Scanning the final shotcrete surface after ground support installation
Creating inspection maps using the Trimble TSC7 and Trimble Business Centre
Generating excavation and shotcrete reports for client review

The SX12 in Action:

Scanning the 254m Vertical Cable Shaft

One of the more technically demanding applications of the SX12 during the K2H project involved accurately scanning a 254-metre vertical cable shaft.

This scan was completed after the raise bore machine had finished reaming, the shotcrete works were completed, and any additional ground support had been installed.

The shaft had experienced complications due to a technical issue with the pilot hole, and an accurate survey was required to assess the situation and provide the design team with a reliable surface model. The shaft’s fit-out would include a bracket system for high-voltage cables and an emergency ladderway, making precision essential.

A Failed First Attempt:

Kidston Hydro Project Lessons Learned

The team’s initial attempt to scan the cable shaft used a Slam LiDAR scanner, which was lowered into the shaft at various speeds using a 250ft crane.

However, none of these attempts were successful. The shaft had been reamed to a smooth surface, with few irregularities, causing the SLAM unit to drift and severely distorting the scan data. The resulting point clouds were unusable – riddled with wall noise and lacking the precision required for structural planning and client reporting.

The SX12 Total Station to the rescue

After multiple brainstorming sessions, the team developed a solution for accurately scanning the 254m vertical cable shaft. They established primary control points around the top of the ring beam, offset slightly to remain visible down the shaft’s entire depth. Additionally, they installed secondary control points inside the shaft using a 250ft crane and man basket.

With these control measures in place, the team successfully captured accurate, geo-referenced scan data. The data was processed in real-time on the Trimble TSC7, allowing for on-the-fly planning of each subsequent scanner setup. This approach eliminated guesswork and significantly reduced issues caused by scan shadows.

The team fabricated a custom bracket to securely mount the Trimble SX12 Total Station to the shaft walls. They conducted the scan from the bottom up, using conventional resection methods at each location, and monitoring targets to ensure consistency.

By carefully overlapping full-dome scans, the team ensured seamless alignment during post-processing. They alternated brackets on either side of the shaft to mitigate the SX12’s downward scanning limitations. In just three shifts, the entire shaft was successfully scanned, and ready for data delivery.

Using Trimble Business Centre, the team processed the scan data to generate cross-section comparisons between the as-built conditions and design models. These outputs, delivered in multiple formats, gave the design team the precise information needed to finalise the HV cable bracket and emergency ladderway layout without delay.

Based on this high-accuracy design, the survey team successfully set out the cable shaft bracket system. This enabled the installation crew to align bolt holes and brackets for drilling with ease and confidence, ensuring a quality fit-out.

Using the SX12 to scan the vertical cable shaft on the Kidston Hydro Project.

Expanding the SX12’s Role on Site

Following the success of the cable shaft scan, the SX12 Total Station was adopted for several other critical components of the K2H project.

One key application was prism monitoring between the surface and underground, where its precision enabled the team to capture reliable daily or weekly readings well within the instrument specifications.

The SX12 also played an essential role in a wide variety of construction and Setout tasks, including:

Setting out the powerhouse crane beam for overhead crane
Positioning multiple levels of concrete slabs with HD bolts
Aligning drainage and mechanical pipelines (Surface and Underground)
Setout for four successful raise bore pilot holes
Mapping electrical cable tray runs

Setout and as-built verification for electrical and communications conduits
Aligning temporary structural steel framework
Positioning major components for the pressure tunnels and main turbines
Setting 6km of RC plinths to secure the dam liner
Drill and blast setout for simple and complex shots

The versatility was essential in the project’s massive powerhouse cavern (85m x 22m x 48m), where the Trimble SX12 was used to scan and maintain the cavern’s profile and mark every rock bolt location. This capability proved especially critical when ground support designs changed, as the SX12 enabled the team to quickly adapt to updated bolt spacing while maintaining critical accuracy.

K2H and the SX12 Total Station:

The Kidston Pumped Hydro Project in review

The Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project (K2H) exemplifies how innovation, expertise, and cutting-edge technology can transform complex engineering challenges into sustainable energy solutions. At its core, the project is a world-first renewable energy hub, repurposing the historic Kidston Goldmine to combe pumped hydro and solar power.

MinStaff Survey played a vital role, by deploying the Trimble SX12 Total Station to deliver precise, efficient, and adaptable surveying solutions. From tunnelling and shaft scanning to construction Setouts and monitoring, the SX12 enabled fast, reliable data collection and seamless integration with design workflows.

The team’s ability to overcome technical challenges was proven by custom solutions like the SX12 bracket system for the 254m cable shaft. Across all applications, this combination of ingenuity and technology improved accuracy, reduced rework, and kept the project on schedule.

Together, the synergy between advanced tools and skilled execution was fundamental to the success of one of Australia’s most innovative clean energy projects.

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