Snowy Hydro, the main contractor for the Future Generation Joint Venture  and members of the local community celebrated the commissioning of the third and final TBM for Snowy 2.0, with a ribbon-cutting at Tantangara.   

The 143 m-long and 11-m diameter TBM Florence will excavate 15.4 km of the 17km-long headrace tunnel. The Herrenknecht-designed machine has been purposely designed to manage hazardous dust and poor ground conditions while tunnelling underground.  

TBM Florence was named after Australia’s first female electrical engineer, Florence Violet McKenzie (1890-1982). The TBMs name had been suggested by local Berridale student Riley Douch as part of the Snowy 2.0 TBM Naming Competition, which highlighted ground-breaking Australian women in science, technology, engineering and math’s (STEM).  

The other two TBMs, Lady Eileen Hudson and Kirsten, are already powering ahead excavating the main access tunnel and emergency, cable and ventilation tunnel at Lobs Hole.  

The three technologically-advanced machines will drive more than 27 km of waterway tunnels as part of Snowy 2.0, the huge pumped-hydro expansion of the iconic Snowy Mountains Scheme that is ensuring Australia’s secure and reliable transition to renewables.  

Click here for further information and au/38 for the tunnelbuilder archive. Visit https://www.snowyhydro.com.au/ and https://www.webuildgroup.com/en/media/press-releases/webuild-celebrates-commissioning-of-third-tbm-for-snowy-2-0-largest-hydropower-project-in-australia .12/22.