AECOM's Nicky Lee works on renewable energy projects

AECOM's People Spotlight series provides an inside look at the company's technical experts working around the world.

Meet Associate Director and Team Leader, Nicky Lee, from AECOM's Water Resources group in Melbourne, Australia.

Nicky discusses her work on the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro project, Australia’s third-largest electricity storage device and first pumped hydro project in over 40 years, and highlights her inspirations and long-term career with AECOM.

Technical focus on water assessment and management

Nicky has over 23 years of experience, including 19 years working with AECOM, serving in a variety of roles including technical delivery, project management, business development and team leadership. Her technical focus areas include surface water assessments to support regulatory approvals and environmental impact statements, along with strategic water management.

During Nicky's time with AECOM, she has worked in AECOM's Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne offices.

Driven to improve natural assets for future generations

Nicky explains that she was fortunate to grow up exploring waterways and the natural environment throughout New Zealand, and from a young age, she developed a love of all things related to science and water, and was driven to not only protect but improve natural assets for future generations.

"My interest in pursuing education and a career in environmental science grew from this passion. I was fortunate enough to secure a graduate position with URS, which was later acquired by AECOM," says Nicky.

Working on Australia’s third-largest electricity storage device

For Nicky, one of her favorite AECOM projects that she has worked on is the surface water assessment associated with the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro project. The 250-megawatt pumped storage hydroelectric power generation facility is the first pumped hydro project in Australia in over 40 years and is the third-largest electricity storage device in the country.

"The project will act as a natural battery storage, allowing energy to be stored and harnessed on demand," says Nicky.

"As the Technical Lead for water quality, I was responsible for assessing potential impacts and mitigation measures resulting from releases from the project into the Copperfield River’s surface water environment. The project was not only interesting but also highly complex from a technical perspective. It involved modelling multiple water quality/flow scenarios and undertaking toxicity assessments, along with frequent engagement with the regulator to ensure that a complete environmental outcome was achieved. As a result of our studies, environmental approvals for the project were obtained," adds Nicky.

Helping achieve renewable energy targets

The Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro project has helped enable the renewable generation potential of North Queensland and created 500 employment opportunities in the region. When complete, the project will store and dispatch 2,000 megawatt-hour of electricity each generation cycle, enough to power 143,000 homes for at least six hours.

"This additional electricity will help the state achieve its renewable energy targets and Australia’s transition to net-zero," explains Nicky. "Additionally, this project involved the beneficial use of two existing mine pits associated with the decommissioned Kidston gold mine which were repurposed to add additional infrastructure and turbines."

An impactful piece of career advice

Nicky explains that her career advice is to look for opportunities to try something new and challenging.

"One of the benefits of working at AECOM is the diverse range of career paths and interesting projects on offer. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience a wide variety of projects and roles, which has allowed me to not only grow professionally but also better understand the career path I would like to take," says Nicky.