Snowy Hydro picks contractors for 2GW hydropower project

Leed Engineering, Voith Hydro, and Future Generation will be in charge of pre-construction, electrical, and mechanical and civil works.

Australian state-run power generation company Snowy Hydro has appointed several Australian and global contractors as preferred tenderers for the up to AUD4.5bn (US$3.2bn) Snowy 2.0 expansion project, which will include a 2,000 MW pumped-storage expansion at the existing Snowy Scheme in New South Wales (south-east Australia). Leed Engineering will be in charge of the pre-construction activities, while Voith Hydro will be the electrical and mechanical contractor and Future Generation (a partnership between the Australian construction firm Clough and the Italian engineering company Salini Impregilo) will be the civil works contractor.

The Snowy scheme (also known as Snowy Mountains scheme) is a hydroelectricity complex consisting of nine power stations with a combined capacity of nearly 4.1 GW. Approved by the company in December 2018, the expansion will prop up Australia’s power supply as ageing coal-fired plants are being shut down. Further details about the project's cost will be revealed once the government gives approval. The first power produced from Snowy 2.0 is expected in late 2024.

This article was originally published by Enerdata.

Photo by Graeme Bartlett - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0