The most sophisticated TBM for the construction of Snowy 2.0, the biggest renewable energy project in Australia, has passed the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT), making it ready to be shipped to the site, where Snowy Hydro Ltd and the JV Future Generation, leaded by Webuild (formerly Salini Impregilo) will expand the Snowy Scheme’s network of hydro power stations in the Snowy Mountains and underpin the country’s transition to a low-carbon emissions future.

The TBM (length 205 m and diameter 11 m),  built and tested  by Herrenknecht, will drive an emergency egress, cable and ventilation tunnel, the inclined pressure shaft and 2km of the headrace tunnel. It will be able to excavate on an incline and it will bore the tunnel that will provide access to a cavern - nearly 1 km underground - where the power station will be located. Tunnelling will start by the end of the year.

Owned and managed by Snowy Hydro Ltd, one of the country’s largest energy companies, Snowy 2.0 will increase by 2,000 megawatts (MW) the generating capacity of the existing Scheme, which stands at 4,100 MW. Click here for further information on the project,  here and au/38 for the tunnelbuilder archive. Visiti https://www.snowyhydro.com.au/ and https://www.webuildgroup.com/en. 28/20.