| Construction The modification approval extends the project’s


western boundary above the TBM at Tantangara, allowing for close monitoring of surface conditions as TBM Florence advances. Surface monitoring will persist until there is at least 100m of overburden between the TBM and the surface. Preparations for the restart included comprehensive


geotechnical investigations along the headrace adit alignment and ground improvement works. In parallel developments: At Talbingo, the Snowy


2.0 project is making strides with the excavation of the tailrace tunnel. TBM Lady Eileen Hudson has covered approximately 1000m since its relaunch in July. Manufacturing of the project’s six pumped-hydro units, set to generate up to 2200MW of power for Australia’s electricity grid, is in full swing. Notably, five of the six 153-tonne spiral cases have been manufactured, along with other major power station components, including the first turbine runner. One of the 13m-long, 7.5m-wide spiral cases recently completed a 442km night-time journey from Port Kembla to Lobs Hole in the Snowy Mountains.


Kidston celebrates milestone In a significant development for the 250MW


Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project (K2-Hydro) in Queensland, Australia, Genex Power Limited announced the successful completion of the Main Access Tunnel (MAT) for the underground works back in November 2023. This crucial milestone was achieved by the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Contractor - a McConnell Dowell and John Holland Group joint venture - marking a major step forward in the project’s construction. The MAT, serving as the permanent access point


to the power station cavern, was excavated in high-quality rock conditions, meeting the required standards. This achievement ensures unimpeded access for lower bench excavation works and subsequent fit-out activities in the power station cavern, all accomplished within the established timeframe of the overall construction program. Following an incident of water ingress in September 2022, Genex made the strategic decision to realign the MAT away from the zone of fractured material encountered in the original heading. Despite the additional length of 436m for the realigned MAT,


this adjustment significantly reduced the overall risk associated with the underground works. Tunnelling works on the realigned MAT commenced in December 2022. The completion of the MAT marks a major turning point in the underground works, effectively contributing to the de-risking of the entire Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project. The company affirms that the project remains on schedule for energization in the second half of 2024. “The completion of the realigned Main Access


Tunnel represents a major milestone for Genex and the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project. We are extremely pleased with the way in which the Genex and EPC Contractor teams responded to the water ingress event last year, completing the redesign and recommencing production with minimal delay. This has limited the time and cost impacts of the water ingress event on the overall Project,” said Genex CEO Craig Francis. “[The] milestone is extremely significant, as it enables Genex and its stakeholders to draw a line under one of the material outstanding risk items for the underground works. Importantly it moves us one step closer toward commencing the power station fit-out works ahead of energisation later in 2024.” Recently, Andritz Hydro, who is supplying the


electro-mechanical equipment for the project, said that the last pieces of equipment arrived on site in October, paving the way for installation of the project’s components.


Above: Snowy 2.0 spiral cases and other components at the Voith Hydro Shanghai factory


Left: Snowy 2.0’s Tantangara adit with the TBM conveyor belt stacker in the foreground and the western boundary behind the adit face


www.waterpowermagazine.com | January 2024 | 13


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