By Rose Bell
Considering that Snowy 2.0 TBM Florence has been halted for nearly a month at Tantangara, New South Wales, Snowy Hydro is efforting to release this machine and high-pressure water jetting continues to be used to remove rock impinging on the shield this TBM.
On 16 May, the TBM was stucked by the project team in extremely hard and abrasive rock conditions, and specialist contractors started work on May 21 to try to free the machine.
According to the Snowy Hydro: “The high-pressure water jetting technique to remove the rock is ongoing and working well. We expect highly variable ground conditions to continue ahead of TBM Florence in the headrace tunnel.”
With daily 12m advancement, Florence was digging the headrace tunnel prior to the its stopping, and this is the second time the TBM has been halted on the Australian pumped hydro project.
Following a surface depression developed, tunneling of the headrace tunnel was halted in December 2022, while the machine was transitioning from soft material into harder rock conditions. The date of relaunching TBM Florence following ground stabilization works was December 2023.
Connecting Tantangara Reservoir with Talbingo Reservoir through 27km of tunnels and a power station with pumping capabilities, Snowy 2.0 is Australia’s largest renewable energy project.
