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Snowy 2.0

DAMS, HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS

Project's overview

Dams, hydroelectric power plants

Australia

In progress

Future Generation Joint Venture, which is comprised of Webuild, Clough and Lane, is the principal contractor for project owner Snowy Hydro, delivering Snowy 2.0.

As the pumped hydro expansion of the iconic Snowy Hydroelectric Scheme, Snowy 2.0 is one of the most complex and challenging feats of engineering under way in the world.

Snowy 2.0 will link two existing Scheme reservoirs, Tantangara and Talbingo, through 27 kilometres of tunnels and a new hydroelectric power station located approximately 800 metres underground at Lobs Hole.

Six reversible turbines in this power station will allow for water to be released for energy generation during times of peak electricity demand and then pumped back up to the top reservoir at times of excess wind and solar. The water will be recycled, and used for energy generation again and again.

Snowy 2.0 will provide vital large‐scale energy storage, along with quick‐start electricity generation at critical times of peak demand when energy supply is constrained and at times when intermittent renewable energy output is low.

Snowy 2.0’s 2,200-megawatt (MW) capacity will deliver enough energy to power 3 million homes for a week, equivalent to about 23 million home batteries.

Snowy 2.0: a journey of discovery

The gigantic battery being built in Australia by Webuild to store and produce energy

In this video, we show you the massive pumped-storage scheme being built in the Snowy Mountains. With the support of 3D animation, it takes you on a journey to discover the construction phases of this complex engineering work that will store and produce electricity for the equivalent of half a million homes.

A hydroelectric plant inside a mountain? We show you Snowy 2.0, in Australia – Geopop/Webuild

Innovation

As part of the Snowy 2.0 Incline Pressure Shaft development, Webuild pioneered an industry-first segmental lining system, the Force-Activated Coupling System (FACS), designed to meet the extreme demands of high-pressure tunnel environments.

Building on the innovative legacy of the original Snowy Scheme, the FACS eliminates the need for a traditional second lining in hydraulic tunnels subject to extreme water pressure.

Typically, after the installation of the first lining, pre-cast concrete segments installed by a tunnel-boring machine (TBM), a second lining of steel or reinforced concrete is required. By removing this step, FACS enables faster and more efficient tunnel completion.

The system features 1.8-metre-long pin-and-socket steel couplers with disc springs, embedded into each pre-cast concrete segment at the onsite factory. As segments are installed by the TBM, the couplers lock together. When engaged, the disc springs compress, strengthening the connection and increasing the lining’s resistance to high internal water pressure.

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 explains the Force-Activated Coupling System.