Researchers at The University of Queensland are studying the potential to install renewable energy facilities on mine sites in Central Queensland, as a viable, sustainable use for the land once mines close.
There are over 40 coal mines in the Bowen Basin and collectively, they get as much sun as other Australian renewable hubs and have thousands of hectares of waste-rock dumps (rocky, non-fertile artificial hills left over from mining) which have potential to be repurposed as sites for solar farms.
Dr Pascal Bolz, a geospatial researcher at UQ’s Sustainable Minerals Institute, explained that over the past five years, the Centre for Environmental Responsibility in Mining (CERM) has been exploring how renewable energy, especially solar, could be built on mine sites, taking advantage of existing transport, power and water infrastructure.
They are currently undertaking a pilot study in the Bowen Basin, funded by a Queensland government Regional Economic Futures Fund Grant awarded to the Queensland Resources Council, with results expected in April 2026.
Building renewable energy on mine sites
“Communities don’t want bushland or prime agricultural land to be disturbed for renewables projects, so using this heavily disturbed land could reduce land use conflicts,” Dr Bolz said.
“We should stop seeing this land as a liability and see it as an asset.”
The researchers looked at nine individual mine operations located between Moranbah and Middlemount in central Queensland and conducted detailed analysis of the landscape and its resources to assess the area’s suitability for renewable energy production.
Dr Bolz explained that although the regulatory environment is complex and can evolve, mining companies and communities alike are keen to find new uses for mine sites.
“Although grid connection and export‑approval processes typically pose significant challenges for renewable‑energy projects, mine sites already have these in place due to the substantial power requirements of draglines and crushing plants,” he said.
Creating a diversified economy
Professor Claire Côte, leader of the Environmental Excellence through the Mining Cycle research group and co-lead of the project, explained that the region also has an extensive water supply pipeline network.
“Solar energy could be used to power water treatment plants to turn mine water into water fit for small-scale irrigation projects,” Professor Côte said, which could help produce more plant growth for revegetation projects, capturing more carbon.
“This research shows that there is a vast capacity for mine sites in central Queensland to contribute to global decarbonisation efforts and deliver community and industry benefits from the planned closure of operations,” said Dr Leigh Stitz, Environment Policy Director at the Queensland Resources Council (QRC).
