The Future Generation JV of Salini Impregilo/Lane/Clough has been confirmed as selected contractor for the civil works and electromechanical component of Australia’s Snowy 2.0 Hydro-Electric scheme. The contract cost is AU$5.1bn, with Salini Impregilo in for 65%, Lane 10%, and Clough 35%, and includesan 800m deep, 26km long tunnel linking the Tantangara Reservoir to Talbingo Reservoir, and an underground powerhouse.
Snowy 2.0 will be an expansion of a network of hydro power stations in the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme operated by Snowy Hydro Ltd, helping underpin Australia’s renewable energy future.
“With this massive project, our Group is expanding its activities in Australia by entering the hydro sector to help the country produce more clean energy,” said Pietro Salini, Chief Executive Officer of Salini Impregilo. “We are bringing know-how that we’ve acquired from hundreds of projects built throughout the world. This contract consolidates our presence in the country where Salini Impregilo has been working in recent years, especially in the transport sector to expand sustainable mobility in cities like Sydney and Perth. This contract confirms our strategy to grow in the country and the investments that we have been making in recent years. Those made at the university level for the development of young talent has also gone in the right direction.”
Commissioned by Snowy Hydro Ltd, one of the country’s largest energy companies, Snowy 2.0 will increase by 2,000 megawatts (MW) the generating capacity of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme, which currently stands at 4,100 MW. It will also triple its pumping capabilities.
Hydroelectricity plays a key role in the country’s efforts to produce cleaner energy, given how it is responsible for 33.9% of renewable energy produced, according to Australia’s Clean Energy Council.
It is hoped Snowy 2.0 will be operational in 2024.
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