Webuild and Clough as part of Future Generation Joint Venture, the principal contractor for Snowy Hydro Limited’s Snowy 2.0 Project, are pleased to announce the breakthrough at the Tantangara transition tunnel.

The breakthrough was successfully achieved in early October, connecting the water intake at the upper reservoir to the gate shaft.

This is a significant milestone for the project, which was achieved with the highest safety outcomes.

The drill and blast team at Tantangara meticulously planned and prepared for this milestone. The successful execution involved process optimisations including increasing the excavation length, and excavating the tunnel from both sides, to ensure the breakthrough created a tunnel connection that seamlessly fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.

Through the use of traditional drill and blast techniques, the team removed over 14,700 cubic metres of material – the equivalent volume of approximately six Olympic-sized swimming pools.

They also sprayed 13,000 cubic metres of shotcrete and installed 3,200 rock bolts to support the rock face.

Once complete, the tunnel will deliver water to the gate shaft, then to the headrace tunnel, all the way to the power station at Lobs Hole.

The 62-metre-deep Tantangara gate shaft is one of the key structures in the overall Tantangara intake system which functions to stop and start the flow of water into the headrace tunnel and power station for maintenance purposes or in the case of an emergency. 

About the project  
 
Webuild, as part of the Future Generation Joint Venture with Clough and Lane, is delivering the civil and electro-mechanical works for the Snowy 2.0 Project, which is owned by Snowy Hydro Limited. 
 
The project will link two existing Snowy Scheme dams, Tantangara and Talbingo, through underground tunnels to the depths of up to one kilometre and an underground power station with pumping capabilities. 
 
Snowy 2.0 will add 2,200 megawatts of energy generation and provide 160 hours of energy storage for the National Electricity Market, enough to ensure the stability and reliability of the system during prolonged weather events, such as wind or solar droughts. 
 
Snowy Hydro already plays a critical role in ensuring system stability at times of peak demand, and Snowy 2.0 will enhance this existing capability and ensure that it continues to provide a secure and reliable transition to renewables.