PM’s high-voltage giant Snowy hydro-electric station bid

A GIANT new hydro-electric power station will be fast-tracked by Malcolm Turnbull’s government in a bid to ease the nation’s electricity crisis.

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A GIANT new hydro-electric power station will be fast-tracked by Malcolm Turnbull’s government in a bid to ease the nation’s electricity crisis.

Dubbed “Snowy Mountains Scheme 2.0”, it would increase the power output of the legendary national project by 50 per cent, adding 2000 megawatts of renewable energy to the network — enough to power 500,000 homes.

The estimated $2 billion project — the biggest expansion to the famous scheme since its completion in 1974 — would connect generators within the system through a series of tunnels and pipes, increasing generating capacity.

Workers inside Snowy River tunnel building the hydro-electric scheme in the 1950s.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull hopes the fast-tracking of “Snowy Mountains 2.0” scheme will ease the nation’s electricity crisis. Picture Kym Smith

Workers driving a diversion tunnel to carry waters for Eucumbene River while Adaminaby dam was being built during construction of the Snowy River hydro-electric scheme in the 1940s.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency will examine several sites that could support large-scale pumped hydro-electric energy storage.

Mr Turnbull also yesterday sought a commitment from gas companies to increase production, to ensure there was enough energy for the nation’s domestic and industrial use this winter.

The federal government, after months of complaining about inaction from the states and their high renewable energy targets, is now attempting to assert control of the power crisis.

Mr Turnbull said the new project would help make renewable energy reliable — filling gaps caused by intermittent supply and generator outages.

He said the expansion would also lead to greater energy efficiency and help stabilise future electricity supply.

“This will ultimately mean cheaper power prices and more money in the pockets of Australians,” the Prime Minister said.

“For too long policymakers have put ideology and politics ahead of engineering and economics. Successive governments at all levels have failed to put in place the necessary storage to ensure reliable power supply to homes and businesses,” he said.

The Herald Sun understands the project has been endorsed by Cabinet and that Mr Turnbull has informed state premiers of the proposal.

The 25-year construction of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme remains Australia’s single biggest infrastructure project.

More than 100,000 people including migrants from more than 30 nations — many refugees escaping war-ravaged countries after World War II — built 16 dams, a pumping station, nine power stations and more than 200 kilometres of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts across the mountains in southeast New South Wales.

The scheme is operated by Snowy Hydro and owned by NSW (58 per cent), Victoria (29 per cent) and the Commonwealth (13 per cent).

Snowy Hydro already provides back-up energy to Victoria and NSW and this could extend to South Australia when the project is expanded.

No new dams will be built as part of the expansion and no extra water will be taken out of the irrigation system or the culturally significant Snowy River, in a decision which is likely to head off environmental or agricultural concerns over water supply.

A new hydro-electric power station, dubbed “Snowy Mountains Scheme 2.0”, will be fast-tracked by Malcolm Turnbull’s government in a bid to ease the nation’s electricity crisis.

The Snowy River hydro-electrical plant.

In a slap to South Australia’s government, Mr Turnbull said that the new project could, in one hour, produce 20 times the 100Mw/h expected from the battery proposed by the Weatherill government, but that it would deliver this constantly for almost a week (or 350,000 megawatt hours over seven days).

“We are making energy storage infrastructure a critical priority, to ensure better integration of wind and solar into the energy market and more efficient use of conventional power,” Mr Turnbull said.

“Every Australian should be confident that they can turn the lights on when they need them,” he said.

The government predicts the project will provide economic security and create jobs for “thousands in the construction and engineering sectors”.

A feasibility study is expected to be completed before year’s end, and construction could commence soon after.

Despite Victoria’s Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio complaining on ABC radio this morning that the Turnbull Government didn’t tell her about the proposal, Premier Daniel Andrews later said the State Government was briefed.

Mr Andrews didn’t rule out partnering with the Federal Government and AGL to deliver the project.

“We’ve spoken with the company this morning and I think if this spells the end of Malcolm Turnbull lecturing the states, and it actually means the Federal Government is actually going to do something, then I would expect that would be welcome by every single Victorian,” Mr Andrews said.

“I’ve said so many times that I am prepared to work with the Prime Minister if he is prepared to act and get on and do something.”

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