By Lynda Myer
Following that damage occurred during a blast in the transformer hall cavern in Australia’s Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project, this project has suffered another setback.
Considering that during a recent blast in the transformer hall cavern, several segments were damaged, blasted material penetrated a temporary section of the main access tunnel (MAT) located directly below the cavern, as a Snowy Hydro spokesperson said to T&TI. The breakthrough occurred between the transformer hall cavern and MAT one blast earlier than planned.
According to spokesperson: “This was a recognized risk associated with blasting in the area and appropriate safety measures were in place. This included bracing of the MAT concrete segments to ensure the tunnel is stable while excavation of the transformer hall cavern and the temporary section of the MAT is undertaken.”
Additionally, in accordance with the safety requirements, there were no workers underground at the time of the blast, whereas access beyond the affected section of the MAT remains closed until the breakthrough is completed.
As Snowy Hydro stated in its previous week report, the project’s three TBMs had dug a total of around 9km and a surge shaft at Marica was now under construction.
