UNDER QLD
Building for a better future The last 12 months has been an interesting period for the trenchless technology sector in Queensland. An unprecedented infrastructure boom has marked a milestone in Queensland’s economic recovery in the wake of COVID-19.
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n July 2021, the historic announcement was made that Brisbane would host the 2032 Olympics after a vote by International Olympic Committee. The announcement triggered a series of development and infrastructure projects to lay the groundwork for the world stage. Infrastructure projects across the state are still on the rise, driven by a strong pipeline of engineering and heavy civil construction work, underpinned by vast investment from the Queensland Government. These big builds are intended to bolster confidence, generate jobs, and guarantee economic growth for the state. In other firsts, Queensland has identified priority industries in the resources and energy sectors, including the production of hydrogen and biofuels, as well as the infrastructure to support it. Queensland will be home to Australia’s first renewable hydrogen production facility in Gladstone, with backing from Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue Future Industries (FFI). This widespread uptake of hydrogen in Australia will require storage, and underground hydrogen storage via tunnelling is the preferred option for reasons of both cost and safety. While the industry is still embryonic,
The Story Bridge in Brisbane City.
18 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA APRIL 2022
Queensland has made some significant steps to secure its future as a hydrogen superpower, having signed agreements with FFI to connect sites near Gladstone to Powerlink’s transmission network to allow renewable electricity to power proposed hydrogen projects. ENEOS - Japan’s largest oil company - is set to significantly increase its production of green hydrogen in Queensland with a target of 20 kg/d. The following trenchless feats have been accomplished in transport, water, and energy over the last year. Cross River Rail The Cross River Rail project is a new 10.2 km rail line from Dutton Park to Bowen Hills, which includes 5.9 km of twin tunnels under the Brisbane River and CBD. It is the most ambitious infrastructure project Queensland has seen in decades. As South East Queensland’s population is rapidly rising, current rail infrastructure is already nearing its capacity, causing bottlenecks and congestion on trainlines. SEQ’s network is constrained by a single river crossing and just four inner-city stations, and the Cross River Rail will resolve the issue by delivering a
second river crossing and new systems across the region. In 2021, Cross River Rail embarked on its year of tunnelling that saw two massive tunnel boring machines (TBM) dig twin tunnels beneath the Brisbane River and CBD. TBMs ‘Merle’ and ‘Else’ are each 165 m long and weighing 1,300 t, named after trailblazing engineer Professor Else Shepherd and pioneering feminist Merle Thornton. Both began their journey from the Woolloongabba station box at the start of the year. From there, the pair made their 3.8 km journey underground, emerging from the project’s northern portal at Normanby before Christmas. Meanwhile, two 115 t roadheaders excavated the almost 900 m of twin tunnels south from Woolloongabba to Boggo Road. For the first time ever, Roma Street and Woolloongabba are now connected underground. Build Our Regions Program The Building our Regions program has a long and successful history of supporting Queensland’s local governments to invest in essential regional infrastructure and creating
