Snowy 2.0 will be an expansion of a network of hydro power stations in the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme operated by Snowy Hydro Ltd, helping underpin Australia's renewable energy future.

Commissioned by Snowy Hydro Ltd , Snowy 2.0 will increase by 2,000 megawatts (MW) the generating capacity of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme, which currently stands at 4,100 MW. It will also triple Snowy Hydro’s pumping capabilities. Snowy Hydro supplies the National Electricity Market at times of peak demand, as more renewable energy sources enter the country’s grid, hydro power will help keep the lights on when the wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining .

Webuild signed in its capacity as leader of the Future Generation joint-venture with its subsidiaries Lane (USA) and Clough (Australia). 

Under the terms of the contract, the Group will link the existing Tantangara and Talbingo dams by excavating a series of tunnels and building a hydroelectric power station with pumping facilities located nearly one kilometre underground.

Innovation 

In the hydraulic tunnels serving the hydroelectric plants the water covers large level differences in just a few metres, which therefore causes very high pressure on the tunnel’s reinforced concrete surfaces.

In order to better manage and in a safer way too this pressure, engineers and technicians of the Webuild Group were engaged in a study project with field testing that after over two years of work led to patent the Force-Activated Coupling System (FACS), an innovative assembly method used for the concrete segments to make the hydraulic tunnels safer.

Read the factsheet about FACS technology

Read the article on FACS technology in We Build Value magazine

In the following video, Webuild Engineering - Director Design Services Nicola Valiante illustrates the Force-Activated Coupling System, the innovative technology used to build the Snowy 2.0 project in the Australian mountains in New South Wales.

Sustainability 

South Australia has become a global test case in high renewables integration, with around 50% of generation sourced from wind and solar. But this is not enough, as wind and solar generation are extremely variable and unpredictable. This makes large-scale storage options — for example, pumped hydro facilities — a vital part of any future renewables mix.