Transforming a disused mine with precise hydro survey data

Pioneering renewable energy from a former mine

The Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project is the flagship project for Genex Power, located in Kidston, Far-North Queensland. As the first pumped hydro project in Australia in over 40 years, it represents the world-first conversion of a disused gold mine into a pumped storage hydroelectric power generation facility, serving as the third-largest electricity storage device in the country.

The project features a complex mix of bulk earthworks, underground tunnelling, and structural and mechanical components, all requiring accurate survey control and construction techniques. Delivery is led by the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Contractor Joint Venture of McConnell Dowell and John Holland (MDJH-JV), working alongside the design team of GHD-Mott McDonald. To manage the surveying demands, the MDJH-JV selected Minstaff Survey, a firm founded in 1995 with more than 50 qualified surveyors, due to their track record on major infrastructure projects and expertise in underground surveying.

The site presents significant survey challenges, covering a vast area with over 50 pieces of excavation, haulage, and tunnelling plant operating across day and night shifts. Led by Survey Manager for Major Projects Andrew Fenwick, Minstaff Survey navigated tight cycle times between excavation, shotcrete, drilling, and blasting, while managing skilled labor shortages by adopting efficient equipment and simplified workflows.

Streamlining tunnel setout and data integration

To maintain tight cycle schedules, Minstaff Survey equipped its surveyors with the Trimble SX12 scanning total station and TSC7 controller running Trimble Access Tunnelling applications. Surveyors set up near the face to measure newly excavated surfaces or shotcrete directly onboard the TSC7 using the surface inspection function. The software generates an inspection map that paints areas requiring rework, enabling instant guidance to operators and supervisors before leaving the face.

The SX12’s green laser and automated target tracking allow a single operator to quickly mark out the face, even in poor lighting. Grade lines are marked automatically at 1-meter intervals along the walls, with the instrument pointing and progressing to desired offsets with predefined pauses for markup. The removal of the telescope and integration of digital cameras enable complete remote operation, cutting the required survey crew from two people down to a single person.

In the office, Trimble Business Center acts as the project’s control center. Survey data, 3D point clouds, and photogrammetry captured underground are imported via a single drag-and-drop file already on survey datum. Because the SX12 completes scanning work on datum in the field, time-consuming scan registration and georeferencing are eliminated. 3D photogrammetry models are shared to the cloud via Trimble Connect, allowing engineers and geologists to view, measure, and overlay designs within minutes. Automated conformance reports and chainage cross-sections are generated in Trimble Business Center to clearly communicate overbreak and underbreak along the tunnel profile.

Maximizing underground production efficiency

By integrating Trimble hardware and software solutions provided by Trimble Authorized Distributor UPG, Minstaff Survey significantly reduced survey times within the underground construction cycle. The simplified workflows supported rapid upskilling for field crews, mitigating industry-wide skilled labor shortages.

Tasks that previously required two survey personnel are now completed by a single operator in less than half the time, speeding up overall project production while maintaining high-accuracy setout and detailed conformance reporting. The ability to upload and distribute survey data and 3D models almost immediately via Trimble Connect enhanced cross-disciplinary collaboration among engineers, supervisors, and geotechnical teams, keeping the landmark hydro project on target.