Snowy 2.0

Damon Miller, Ben Chapman and Francisco Cortes

The Snowy 2.0 project involves the delivery of a 2000 megawatt pumped storage scheme in southern NSW, which will expand the capacity of the existing 4100 megawatt Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme. The Snowy 2.0 project plans to link the existing Tantangara and Talbingo reservoirs via approximately 28 km of waterway tunnels, 2 km of shafts and 16 km of access tunnels. The project will harness the 700 m head difference between the reservoirs within an underground power station housing six 340 megawatt pump-turbines.

The technical presentation is co-hosted by the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) and the Australian Tunnelling Society (ATS) and will provide an overview of the project and the key engineering challenges faced by the project team during the development from the 2017 feasibility study to contract signing and exploratory works starting in 2019. The presentation will include detail on the extensive underground development in complex alpine geological and hydrogeological conditions, a remote and environmentally sensitive setting and stringent operational requirements.

Engineers Australia members participating in AGS technical sessions can record attendance on their personal CPD logs. Members should refer to Engineers Australia CPD policy for details on CPD types, requirements and auditing guidelines.