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Author: James Hanna

News

SNOWY 2.0 POWERING OUR FUTURE-READY WORKFORCE

28/07/2025

Beyond building one of the most complex and challenging feats of engineering in the world, through its pumped hydro expansion to the iconic Snowy Scheme, Snowy 2.0 is also leaving a skills legacy.

Eight Year 12 students at Monaro High School have become the first NSW cohort to complete a school-based apprenticeship and traineeship (SBAT) program in supply chain operations, all while working on Australia’s largest renewable energy project.

The Cooma students spent one day a week gaining real-world insights and skills at the Polo Flat segment factory, serving as strong foundation for their careers.

Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes said the project would create a lasting skills legacy while securing Australia’s clean energy future.

“We are incredibly proud to empower local students by offering career-defining opportunities close to home on this once-in-a-generation project,” he said.

Monaro High School principal James Armitage said students embraced the opportunity to step into the workforce while still attending school.

“This SBAT partnership has shown how powerful it is when education and industry come together with a shared goal of supporting young people into meaningful careers,” he said.

News

FUNDING BOOST FOR ENDANGERED MACQUARIE PERCH

24/07/2025

Snowy Hydro has partnered with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to expand captive breeding of the endangered Macquarie perch.

Through the Snowy 2.0 Threatened Fish Management Plan, Snowy Hydro has funded the construction of eight new purpose-built aquaculture ponds at Narrandera Fisheries Centre.

This funding will allow for the reintroduction of the species into protected habitats and boost genetic diversity in locations including in the upper Murrumbidgee River below Tantangara reservoir.

Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes said Snowy Hydro was committed to environmental stewardship while building Australia’s largest renewable energy project.

“We are pleased to work collaboratively with NSW DPIRD Fisheries to carry out the associated monitoring and research that will improve the resilience of Macquarie Perch in both the catchments where Snowy 2.0 will operate and also across the state,” Mr Barnes said.  

“Beyond delivering positive environmental outcomes, Snowy 2.0, with a design life of 150 years, will underpin Australia’s clean energy future by storing excess wind and solar power and delivering it to homes and businesses across the grid when it’s needed most.” 

News

KURRI KURRI POWER STATION TESTING UPDATE

18/07/2025

Snowy Hydro’s Kurri Kurri Power Station will recommence testing of the first of its two gas generators on Monday, 21 July 2025. This phase of testing will use gas, which is the generator’s primary fuel and expected to cause substantially less plume and odour than recent diesel testing.

We understand recent testing on the back-up diesel fuel generated visible emissions and an odour that caused discomfort and concern. The level of emissions and odour was not expected and was associated with starting up a brand new generator, combined with strong winds.

After listening to community feedback, we paused this initial phase of testing on the power station’s secondary fuel, diesel. We sincerely apologise for not meeting community expectations regarding providing information about the testing more broadly across the region.

When testing resumes next week on gas, there may be some noise noticed by properties very close to the station, with the potential for a plume and an associated odour during the initial start-up of the turbine. While these impacts will only last a short period and will be dependent on weather conditions at the time of testing, we have also increased the level of air monitoring outside the site boundary. 

The nature of turning on a brand new generator for the first time means there is uncertainty regarding how it will perform as we fine-tune the turbines so they operate efficiently when we switch to full operations. Once fully tested, the efficiency of the turbines, which are the latest technology, will result in significantly reduced emissions.

Testing will be undertaken at night and is expected to take 6 to 8 weeks. Improvements to noticeable emissions and odour are expected each week as the commissioning process progresses. 

There are appropriately strong rules that apply to the emissions, noise and other impacts from the power station during commissioning and in operation. Snowy Hydro is also working closely with the NSW Environmental Protection Authority to ensure impacts remain within strict environmental limits.

When fully operational, Kurri Kurri Power Station is designed to run only for a minority of the time, when electricity demand is high and renewable generation is limited. It will operate using gas as its primary fuel for the majority of the time, with diesel only being used as a backup. 

Kurri Kurri Power Station will play an important role in preventing blackouts and enabling Australia’s decarbonisation. It will provide 660 megawatts of electricity when it’s needed most, allowing more wind and solar generation to enter the grid.

If you have any questions or concerns, call the Snowy Hydro Community Hotline at 1800 570 529, get in touch with us via our social media channels or visit the Hunter Power Project webpage.

News

KURRI KURRI FIRES UP FOR THE FIRST TIME

07/07/2025

Commissioning of Snowy Hydro’s fourth on-demand gas power station has achieved a significant milestone, with the Hunter Power Project (HPP) team successfully firing up one of the station’s two class-leading gas turbines late last week.

Snowy Hydro’s Chief Executive Officer Dennis Barnes said ‘first fire’ is an important milestone, which involves the gas turbine igniting and reaching full speed for the first time.

“First fire is a turning point in the power station’s development that confirms the design, construction and cold commissioning of the turbine has been successful,” Mr Barnes said.

“We’re very proud of the project team, whose hard work and dedication have seen us through a very challenging delivery program.”

To be known as Kurri Kurri Power Station in operation, the project’s gas supply infrastructure is now complete. The station is expected to reach full commercial operation in coming months after experiencing several periods of heavy rain over the past year.

The station’s commissioning program has been impacted by 69 days lost to weather impacts in 2025 alone, including during what was the region’s wettest May in 30 years.

Designed to run only for a minority of the time, when electricity demand is high and renewable generation is limited, Kurri Kurri Power Station will have capacity to provide a significant 660 megawatts of power to the grid. This will help reduce pressure on electricity prices, avoid blackouts and cut around five million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent gas emissions annually.

”Every megawatt of capacity provided by Kurri Kurri enables three megawatts of renewable wind and solar to come online and replace increasingly unreliable coal generation,” Mr Barnes said.

“This represents real change in our energy system that will deliver important benefits to energy users across the grid, while making a difference in Australia’s response to climate change.”

Kurri Kurri Power Station remains on track to be delivered within its target cost of around $1.3 billion.

Video footage is available here, and images are available on request.

News

FOURTH TUNNEL BORING MACHINE ON WAY FOR SNOWY 2.0

07/07/2025

Green light for TBM to begin journey to Australia

Snowy Hydro is now preparing for the arrival of its fourth tunnel boring machine to join Snowy 2.0 – Australia’s largest renewable energy project.

This 178-metre long machine has been purpose-built to excavate a 5km tunnel through a complex geological area deep in the NSW Snowy Mountains, known as the long plain fault zone, that will eventually connect Tantangara reservoir with an underground power station built almost 1km underground. 

The TBM has now passed factory acceptance testing at Herrenknecht’s Guangzhou factory in China, ensuring all its major systems (mechanical, electrical, control and hydraulics) are validated and the machine is ready to be shipped to Australia.

The pumped hydro expansion to the iconic Snowy Scheme, Snowy 2.0’s incredible scale and power will translate 2200MW of capacity to 350,000 MWh of energy, taking the excess electricity produced by wind and solar during the day and delivering it to provide stability to our energy grid when it’s needed most.

Snowy Hydro Chief Delivery Officer – Snowy 2.0 David Evans said the project would play a pivotal role in enabling Australia’s transition to clean energy.

“Snowy 2.0 is essentially a giant battery, providing long-duration storage for wind and solar power to complement the short-duration storage that batteries provide,” he said.

“The successful completion of factory acceptance testing is testament to months of meticulous design, rigorous testing, engineering excellence and collaboration.”

News

CLOUD SEEDING UPDATE

30/05/2025

Following a comprehensive review, Snowy Hydro is permanently ceasing its cloud seeding program. This decision follows a review that determined the escalating costs of the program outweighed its benefits.

The review, initially announced in June of last year after a program pause in 2024, concluded that the escalating costs and resources required to continue the program would outweigh any benefits.

Increasing costs were primarily driven by Snowy Hydro’s existing cloud seeding equipment reaching the end of its operational life, meaning significant investment would be needed for it to be replaced. 

Rising operational expenses for resourcing and fulfilling regulatory obligations also contributed to the decision.

Snowy Hydro will work with stakeholders to develop a decommissioning plan for equipment removal.

Further Information:

Snowy Hydro has conducted cloud seeding since 2004 to enhance snowfall under suitable conditions. The program was backed by scientific research, independent review, and its operation followed stringent environmental regulation.

For more information on Snowy Hydro’s cloud seeding operations to date, please visit: https://www.snowyhydro.com.au/generation/cloud-seeding/

News

SNOWY 2.0 PROJECT UPDATE

28/03/2025

Work on Australia’s largest renewable energy project, Snowy 2.0, continues with good progress across multiple work fronts, despite recent work stoppages.

Across Snowy 2.0, recent progress of note includes:

POWER STATION CAVERNS

  • Development of the Snowy 2.0 power station complex is progressing well, with excavation and installation of rock support within the caverns more than 35% complete.
  • The transformer hall is now almost 50% excavated by volume and the machine hall is now 28 metres deep.
  • The drill and blast tunnels providing access to various levels within the caverns, and other parts of the power station complex are more than 93% complete.
  • Excavation of the 266 metre-long collector waterway tunnels, which will pass water from the power station to the tailrace tunnel and onto Talbingo reservoir, is 80% complete.


UPPER RESERVOIR INTAKE

  • A 40-metre high tower crane is assisting with construction logistics in the Tantangara intake pit, where the project’s first permanent concrete structures are being built. More than 6,600 cubic metres of concrete have been poured so far.


LOWER RESERVOIR INTAKE

  • A total of 370 metres has been excavated from both ends of the connection tunnel which is 825 metres long and will create a connection between the Talbingo intake structure and the tailrace tunnel.
  • A 70-metre tower crane has been installed to lift heavy equipment and materials in and out of the intake pit.


MARICA SURGE SHAFT

  • Excavation of the 240 metre deep and 28 metre wide Marica surge shaft has passed 151 metres.
  • The shaft will provide water storage when Snowy 2.0’s power station starts up. When the station is shutting down, the Marica surge shaft will also provide pressure relief in the headrace tunnel. When completed, it will be one of the widest and deepest operational shafts in the world.


DOWNSTREAM SURGE SHAFT

  • Excavation of the upper chamber for the downstream surge shaft is 68% complete. This shaft will be approximately 200m high and provide water storage when the power station starts up in pumping mode and pressure relief in the tailrace tunnel when the power station starts in generation mode.


TUNNEL BORING MACHINES (TBMs)
Florence

  • TBM Florence is excavating the 17-kilometre headrace tunnel, which will connect the underground power station to the upper Tantangara reservoir.
  • The machine is now more than 3.0-kilometres into the headrace tunnel.

Lady Eileen Hudson

  • TBM Lady Eileen Hudson is excavating the 6-kilometre tailrace tunnel, which will connect the underground power station to the lower Talbingo reservoir.
  • The machine has now completed 85% of the tailrace tunnel, having already completed the 2.85-kilometre main access tunnel. This tunnel is now being used by workers to access the power station caverns.

Kirsten

  • TBM Kirsten is excavating the very steep, 1.6-kilometre Inclined Pressure Shaft (IPS) connecting the underground power station to the headrace tunnel.
  • The machine has excavated 14% of the shaft to date.
  • We expect the performance of our tunnel boring machines to continue to vary in line with ground conditions.

TBM4

  • In December 2024, the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure approved Snowy Hydro’s application to deploy a fourth tunnel boring machine. The machine will help protect the delivery timeline by boosting the project’s ability to tunnel through a complex geological fault zone.
  • Work to prepare for the launch of the machine is underway. It is set to begin excavation by the end of 2025.


RESTART AFTER WORK STOPPAGES

  • Underground work on Snowy 2.0 has been progressively restarting over the last two weeks. Operations for all three tunnel boring machines are underway, as well as power station drill and blast cavern excavation.
  • Above ground work was not impacted and continued throughout the period underground work was stopped.

News

SNOWY HYDRO SUPPORTS STUDENTS WITH LIFE CHANGING STEM SCHOLARSHIPS

07/03/2025

Two aspiring engineers will benefit from life-changing scholarships funded by Snowy Hydro to further their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.

The two scholarships will be funded by Snowy Hydro for three years, with each receiving $30,000.

The scholarships are part of Snowy Hydro’s partnership with the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering’s (ATSE) Elevate program which helps more women and non-binary people access STEM opportunities.

Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes said he was delighted to see Snowy Hydro’s partnership with ATSE create life changing opportunities for two deserving women.

“Snowy Hydro believes supporting gender diversity in the sector is important to ensuring a strong talent pipeline of future energy leaders,” Mr Barnes said.

“The reason we joined forces with ATSE was to provide opportunities like this, to make a genuine difference in helping people who might otherwise experience barriers when pursuing a STEM career.

“We are proud to support these two ambitious and talented women from regional Australia as they develop their skills and pursue their academic journeys.”

The Scholarship beneficiaries are:

Courtney Bulgarelli: Originally from Mount Isa in far northwest Queensland, Courtney will be studying Mechatronic Engineering at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba.

Jessica Thomson: Originally from Darwin in the Northern Territory, Jessica will be studying a Bachelor of Engineering (honours) at Monash University in Melbourne.

The scholarships will not only support Courtney and Jessica financially but also grant them access to the vast ATSE network, including mentoring, professional development workshops, and 24-hour psychosocial wellbeing support.

ATSE CEO Kylie Walker said both women are worthy recipients having gone through a rigorous selection process which saw more than 250 scholarships awarded from over 1,500 applications received.

‘Partnerships to boost and tap into the skills we need for such important infrastructure are absolutely key,” Ms Walker said.

“Snowy Hydro has a long history as a champion of supporting diversity in STEM and this is the next important step. We are so excited to see this come to life through our scholars.”

News

SNOWY HYDRO’S 2025 COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM NOW OPEN

03/03/2025

Community groups and not-for-profit organisations across Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys and Towong are invited to apply for funding to support local initiatives as part of Snowy Hydro’s Community Grants Program.

In total, Snowy Hydro has more than $200,000 of funding available to support this year’s program, with groups able to apply for grants of up to $10,000.  

Snowy Hydro’s Head of Social Impact and Community Sarah Norris said the Community Grants Program aims to support projects and initiatives that address local needs, connect communities, and deliver long lasting benefits.

“Strong communities are built on ideas, passion, and local action. This program is about just that, by empowering people to bring their ideas to life and make a lasting impact where it matters most,” she said.

“If you have an idea that could make a difference, we encourage you to apply. This support could help you turn your vision into a reality.”

In 2024, the Snowy Hydro community review panel assessed more than 180 applications across two funding rounds, allocating $405,000 to 60 impactful projects.

Past recipients include CUC Snowy Monaro, which used its grant to deliver the ‘Speak Up’ program – helping young people develop leadership and public speaking skills- and Big Brothers Big Sisters in Tumut, which expanded its mentoring program to support more at-risk youth.

To be eligible, groups must be not-for-profit or hold an Australian Business Number (ABN), and operate within the Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys or Towong local government areas.

Applications are open until 11.55pm on Sunday 16 March, with results announced by the middle of the year. 

For more details and to apply, visit snowyhydro.com.au/communitygrantsprogram/ 

The Snowy Hydro Community Grants Program was formalised in 2022, and since then has invested around $860,000 towards 142 local projects.

News

SNOWY 2.0 SAFETY INCIDENT

27/02/2025

Following a serious safety incident at Snowy 2.0, Snowy Hydro will seek an immediate independent safety review and audit, and will require changes to principal contractor Future Generation Joint Venture’s (FGJV) leadership on the project.

These actions follow an underground fan failing and losing part of its blade on Tuesday morning. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Underground work was stopped to allow inspection of all fans. FGJV will work with SafeWork NSW to ensure they are safe, with the aim of progressively restarting work.

Nothing is more important to Snowy Hydro than safety. Recent safety concerns at Snowy 2.0 have made it clear that as the client, our assurance role over FGJV’s activities requires this intervention.

We’re committed to working with our workforce and unions to ensure that the safety standards we expect are in place at Snowy 2.0.

News

SNOWY HYDRO RELEASES 2024 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT

13/01/2025

Snowy Hydro has released its 2024 Sustainability Report, covering the progress the energy generator and retailer has made in areas such as environmental stewardship, social impact, and understanding and responding to its carbon emissions and climate risks.

Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes said the report reflects the company’s role in enabling Australia’s transition to renewable energy, while highlighting its progress and ambitions.

“At Snowy Hydro, we understand that sustainability goes beyond fulfilling our environmental commitments,” Mr Barnes said. 

“It’s about supporting our people, driving better diversity outcomes and making a positive difference to the communities we serve.

“The 2024 report shows the progress we are making and achievements we are proud of. While we recognise there is still more to do, this report serves as our roadmap, keeping us accountable and focused on delivering even better outcomes for stakeholders and the community in the future,” Mr Barnes said.

Mr Barnes also acknowledged Snowy Hydro’s responsibility as custodian of the water that flows through the Snowy Scheme, highlighting its role in balancing electricity network reliability, with the irrigation needs of farmers and other water users. 

Key sustainability achievements in the 2023/2024 financial year include:

  • Producing 3,937 GWh of renewable electricity from our hydro generation assets – enough energy to power around 600,000 homes for a year.
  • Growing our mass market retail brands business to 1.4 million customers, with a focus on delivering authentic, personal customer service.
  • Our retail brand Red Energy recognised with the Customer Satisfaction Award for the 14th year in a row
  • 7,958 students benefitting from Snowy STEM Academy programs
  • Keeping our people safe, reflected in our low Total Recordable Incident Frequency Rate (TRIFR) score
  • Delivering five events of 8-hour peak water flows from Jindabyne reservoir to improve the health of the Snowy River ecosystem
  • Maintaining outstanding reliability across our generation assets, with our hydro generators starting successfully 99.7 per cent of the time, and gas 98.5 per cent of the time, underpinning our ability to contribute to stable electricity supply
  • $557,000 spent through our community giving programs
  • Increasing the proportion of women in senior leadership roles
  • $320,000 of funding for Murray River rehabilitation work to maintain waterflow and prevent erosion 

Snowy Hydro is the third largest generator of electricity in Australia by capacity. We can generate 5,500 megawatts (MW) of electricity across eight hydroelectric power stations, three natural gas power stations, and four diesel power stations. 

Snowy 2.0 and the Hunter Power Project are set to deliver 2,860MW of additional capacity. This significant boost to the network’s capacity will make a meaningful difference to energy supply reliability, particularly on hot days in summer.

When these fast-start generating assets come online, they will enable further wind and solar generation that can displace more than 33 million tonnes of CO2-e per annum. 

This carbon emissions displacement would represent a 28 percent reduction in the National Electricity Market emissions from 2022 levels, and approximately 13 percent of Australia’s 2030 total emissions reduction target.

To learn more about Snowy Hydro’s sustainability journey and access the 2024 report, visit https://www.snowyhydro.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Snowy-Hydro_2024-Sustainability-Report.pdf. 

News

HUNTER POWER PROJECT UPDATE

16/12/2024

Testing and commissioning of Snowy Hydro’s fourth fast-start, on demand gas power station has now begun.

This first phase of commissioning involves pressure testing the Hunter Power Project’s (HPP) approximately 23 kilometre network of pipe infrastructure that will deliver gas, diesel and water to the station’s generators. 

Using the latest technology the world’s best manufacturers can offer, HPP will be powered by two of the most gas-efficient turbines available and will be capable of delivering 660 megawatts of electricity to the grid. This significant amount of power will make a meaningful difference to supply reliability, helping the network cope during hot weather and outages of transmission lines and other power stations.

As more wind and solar enters the electricity grid, HPP will play a critical role by providing back-up power to homes and businesses.This means that while HPP is only expected to run around 5 percent of the time, it will enable around 2 gigawatts of renewable energy to be added to the grid, which is the equivalent of displacing around 5 million tonnes of CO2-e every year1.

PHASED COMMISSIONING

Alongside the pipe pressure tests, HPP’s switching station, which was built by Snowy Hydro as part of the project but handed over to Ausgrid to operate, will be connected to provide the power station with energy from the grid. Testing will then progress to commissioning the first of HPP’s two turbines and generators. 

Pending a smooth process, the first turbine and generator is expected to reach full commercial operation by the end of April 2025. Commissioning of the second turbine and generator will follow, with commercial operation of both turbines and generators expected by the end of June 2025. 

Depending on commissioning outcomes, there is a possibility of either turbine being available to provide some power to the grid sooner. These target dates are dependent on the commissioning program not being impacted by weather or other factors.

VALUE AND COST

HPP has experienced extended periods of extreme weather and other factors that have stopped work on the project, impacting its timeline. As flagged in the August 2024 project update, HPP’s cost has been impacted in order to minimise the delay in its completion, so HPP can produce power for the network as soon as possible.

Prioritising power availability means the final cost of HPP is expected to be around $1.3 billion, dependent on a smooth transition to commercial operation without delays from weather or other factors.

Despite the change in cost, the strength of HPP’s economic benefit has increased. HPP’s net present value (NPV), has increased to $914 million from $531 million at the March 2021 final investment decision2. 

This increase in HPP’s economic value has been largely driven by:

  • more wind and solar generation in the grid increasing the need for HPP to provide on-demand, back-up energy to boost electricity reliability;
  • a substantial increase in HPP’s gas storage capacity to 70TJ from 43TJ;
  • HPP’s contribution to managing transmission risk between Sydney and the Snowy Hydroelectric Scheme in the Snowy Mountains, by providing an alternative electricity source for Australia’s largest economy in the event of transmission outages. 

LOCAL BENEFITS

The project is delivering substantial jobs and investment benefits to the Hunter region:

To promote interest in STEM career paths and education, HPP’s team has engaged with local students through career expos and presentations, including through partnerships with the Clontarf Foundation in Kurri Kurri, Youth Express and Training Services NSW. 

$751 million spent domestically, with $619 million spent in the local Hunter region.  

57% of HPP’s workforce are local residents.  

20 apprentices are engaged on the project, providing skill development in the Hunter region.

Over $175,000 has been awarded to 39 local projects through the HPP Community Grants Program.  

Over $26,000 has been granted to Cessnock LGA schools through the Snowy Hydro Local Schools STEM Fund in 2024.  

1Assumes every 1 MW of dispatchable capacity from HPP enables 3 MW of variable renewable capacity and displaces thermal generation with a carbon intensity of 0.94 t/CO2-e/MWh. Scope 1 emissions from HPP are estimated to be approximately 0.14 million tonnes of CO2-e per annum based on a carbon intensity of 0.52 t/CO2-e/MWh.

 2NPVs discounted to March 2021.