The Snowy 2.0 pumped storage hydro project has reached a significant milestone, with one of three tunnel boring machines (TBM), Lady Eileen Hudson, now two-thirds of the way through its second tunnel excavation. The TBM has completed approximately four kilometers of the six-kilometer tailrace tunnel, which will connect the Talbingo Reservoir to the underground power station.
Previously, Lady Eileen Hudson finished a 2.85-kilometer main access tunnel, now serving as a pathway for crews to access the underground construction site.
At the Talbingo water intake, drill and blast operations are advancing. A 700-meter tunnel is being created between the intake structure and the tailrace tunnel. The intake site, located in steep terrain, features a rock face now 110 meters high following the removal of 570,000 cubic meters of material over two years.
Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes stated that recent months have been some of the project’s most productive.
“Overall, the project is around 60 percent complete, and there’s a strong sense of momentum, with good tunneling progress by TBM Lady Eileen and the other two TBMs performing well,” Barnes said.
Barnes emphasized the importance of Snowy 2.0 to Australia’s energy future, calling it “the most significant addition to the National Electricity Market (NEM) since the original Snowy Scheme.”
“Snowy 2.0 will have a generating capacity of 2,200 megawatts and an unmatched 160-hour storage capability, meaning it will be able to power around 3 million homes for a week,” he explained. “While batteries and gas are important for short-term energy storage, only pumped hydro offers the long-duration storage needed to ensure energy reliability during extended periods without sun and wind.”
Key Snowy 2.0 construction updates
- Underground power station: Caverns are 27% excavated. All 196 crane brackets needed for construction have been installed. Once complete, the station will be a 20-story, 250-meter-long structure located 800 meters underground.
- Marica surge shaft: Excavated to 123 meters, approximately half of its planned depth. This shaft will provide water storage and pressure relief for the power station.
- TBM progress:
- TBM Florence has excavated over 1,600 meters of the 17-kilometer headrace tunnel connecting the upper Tantangara Reservoir to the power station.
- TBM Kirsten is performing well, working on the steep 1.6-kilometer tunnel linking the headrace tunnel to the power station.
- The project plans to add a fourth TBM to address a challenging geological fault zone, pending approval by the NSW Department of Planning.
The project remains on track to stay within its $12 billion budget and is expected to be completed by the end of 2028. Health and safety remain a priority, with the current total reportable injury frequency rate (TRIFR) at 2.42 and a lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) of 0.92, based on 27.8 million hours worked.
Snowy 2.0 employs over 3,000 workers and continues to monitor and improve its safety practices.
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