The fourth TBM for Australia’s Snowy 2.0 hydro project has passed its Factory Acceptance Test.
The machine, built by Herrenknecht at its factory in Guangzhou, China, will excavate a 17km-long tunnel for the pumped storage hydro project in New South Wales. The tunnel will eventually connect the upper reservoir at Tantangara to the underground power station — almost 1km below the surface.
The 178m-long TBM has a 12m diameter cutterhead, 6300kW of cutterhead drive power, and eight gantries. Nine concrete segments will line each tunnel ring.
In August last year Snowy Hydro confirmed a fourth TBM would be deployed to help the project maintain its delivery timeline.
