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Current works
Snowy Hydro is preparing for the final stage of commissioning at Kurri Kurri Power Station. This will involve running the station on the back-up diesel fuel for testing purposes, starting on or after Friday, 10 July 2026.
When testing begins, some odour and a visible plume will occur during turbine start-up, but we are taking steps to ensure impacts are kept to a minimum and remain strictly within the EPA’s environmental guidelines.
What are we doing differently?
When starting the plant on diesel, some exhaust plume will be visible. To reduce the impact on your day-to-day life and keep emissions to a minimum and within the EPA’s strict environmental guidelines, we have adjusted our approach to testing:
- Testing will take place overnight for approximately four weeks (weather-dependent). One generator will be tested at a time to minimise noise and odour.
- We’ve worked closely with the turbine manufacturer to reduce the time required to run at “full speed, no load,” minimising plumes or odours.
- We have a dedicated community team available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during this testing window. This team will work with our commissioning team to investigate and respond to any resident concerns immediately.
Once this final testing phase is complete, the station will operate primarily on gas. It will only run during periods of peak demand or when renewable generation is limited, using diesel as an emergency backup.
Why is this testing important?
This final testing phase is essential for ensuring the plant’s safety and long-term reliability. By testing the backup diesel systems now, our team gains a complete operational understanding of the equipment under load. This guarantees that when the grid is under stress, the station will kick in safely and exactly as designed.
Why is Kurri Kurri Power Station needed?
Kurri Kurri Power Station will play an important role in ensuring electricity reliability and enabling Australia’s transition to renewable energy. It will provide 660 megawatts of electricity when it’s needed most, allowing more wind and solar generation to enter the grid.
Contact us 24/7
Your real-time feedback is vital to helping us manage this final commissioning phase responsibly. If you experience any issues, notice a strong odour, or want an immediate operational update, please reach out to us right away.
Our team is monitoring these channels around the clock:
- Community Hotline (24/7): 1800 570 529 (for immediate issues or complaints)
- Email: community@snowyhydro.com.au
Key dates
Last updated: 7 July 2026
Note: Commissioning involves testing various parts of the unit to ensure it works efficiently. This process can identify aspects that require minor adjustments which can affect the final completion date of testing. Snowy Hydro will endeavour to update this testing schedule with the latest information as soon as possible.
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If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call the Snowy Hydro Community Hotline at 1800 570 529 or email us at community@snowyhydro.com.au
FAQs
What is the Hunter Power Project?
The Hunter Power Project, known as the Kurri Kurri Power Station, is critical to ensuring a responsible transition to renewable energy in Australia. When fully operational, it will be able to provide fast-start, dispatchable energy to support the grid when it is most needed. Read more about the Project on the Project home page.
What does “testing and commissioning” mean?
Testing and commissioning is the final phase focused on ensuring all systems and components are properly installed, tested, and functioning according to the project requirements and specifications.
First Fire as part of this process is when the gas turbine ignites and reaches full speed for the first time. Read more about First Fire here.
What is the smoke coming out of the stacks?
We are in the process of testing both of our generators, which involves burning both diesel and gas to ensure the system operates safely and smoothly. The emissions you see during commissioning are a result of our full speed no load testing, which will not be the case during operations where fuel will be used more effectively as we send power to the grid.
The impacts of our recent testing is currently under investigation and we will communicate as required in due course.
Will emissions always look like this, even during operations?
Once operational, no visible plumes are expected to be seen from the stacks as the emissions during operation will be primarily from the combustion of gas.
In the rare instances where diesel must be used, a small plume will be seen for twenty minutes before disappearing completely.
Will the power plant be continuously running?
No. Designed to operate only for a minority of the time, the power station will help take pressure off wholesale electricity prices and prevent blackouts by providing up to 660 megawatts of power when demand is high and supply from wind and solar is limited.
Approval has been granted for the power station to operate up to 12.5% of the year or 1100 hours. However, the expectation is it will operate for a lesser period of time.
What kind of continual air monitoring has been formally agreed upon?
All monitoring is described within our EPL, which was administered by the EPA. Figure M2.2 Air Monitoring Requirements documents the list of pollutants monitored.