Snowy Hydro Archives - Renew Economy

Pumped Hydro

Too big to fail? Snowy 2.0 critics predict fresh cost blowouts, while others say it’s far too late to turn back
Critics fear interest, the cost of building connecting transmission, and other fees are creating a even bigger monster than Snowy Hydro to ready to admit.
Rachel Williamson

Apr 27, 2026

15
CleanTech Bites

Snowy’s delayed gas plant finally enters grid system, as Forrest closes in on gas import terminal
Snowy Hydro’s delayed, costly and not very hydrogen gas generators have finally entered the grid management system.
Giles Parkinson

Mar 25, 2025

9
Pumped Hydro

Another delay: Work stopped at all Snowy 2.0 tunnels over safety worries
Major pumped hydro project Snowy 2.0 is delayed again, this time due to worker safety concerns.
Rachel Williamson

Jan 29, 2025

6
Policy & Planning

Snowy seeks approval to burn six times more diesel than planned at Kurri Kurri gas generator
Snowy Hydro is seeking approval to run the Hunter Power Project entirely on diesel fuel in 2025, in a move that will send the hybrid gas plant’s year-one emissions soaring by up to 80%.
Sophie Vorrath

Sep 17, 2024

0
Policy & Planning

Snowy confirms controversial and costly NSW gas plant will start operations fuelled by diesel
Snowy Hydro confirms that its new “fast-start, on demand” Hunter Power Plant will begin operations, not on hydrogen, not on gas, but on costly and polluting diesel fuel.
Sophie Vorrath

Aug 28, 2024

0
Pumped Hydro

Snowy buys extra boring machine to support “disappointing” Florence as testing unearths more problems
A new boring machine will be operational by the end of 2025 and supplied by the same company that made the “disappointing” and frequently stuck Florence.
Rachel Williamson

Aug 26, 2024

0
Storage

Slow progress at Snowy 2.0, with more “challenging” conditions ahead and a Florence clone
Snowy Hydro CEO says boring machine Florence needs to tunnel about 15 metres a day to keep Snowy 2.0 on track and says a fourth boring machine could be on the cards if the going gets tough again.
Sophie Vorrath

Feb 13, 2024

0
Another dud Snowy Hydro project, squandering over $1.5bn of taxpayers’ money
Snowy Hydro’s Hunter Power Project has kept a low profile compared to Snowy 2.0 – but it has a strikingly similar list of troubles sending it over budget and off schedule.
Ted Woodley

Dec 6, 2023

0
Storage

Government snowed again, if it believes Snowy 2.0 is a commercial investment
An independent probe might cut through Snowy 2.0’s woeful history of impossibly optimistic estimates. The government should start by releasing the reset report.
Ted Woodley

Oct 25, 2023

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Snowy 2.0 usage set to plummet by 2050 – and VNI West won’t save it
Reports reveal VNI West will not increase Snowy 2.0’s transmission capacity to Victoria at all – and that the usage of Snowy 2.0 will plummet after 2050.
Ted Woodley

May 18, 2023

0
Renewables

Snowy Hydro finally fesses up on delays to Snowy 2.0, and for Kurri Kurri too
Snowy 2.0’s estimated completion has been officially delayed, again, making its completion this decade look increasingly unlikely.
Ted Woodley

Feb 9, 2023

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Snowy finally confirms pumped hydro project over budget and behind schedule
Snowy Hydro’s interim CEO tells Senate Estimates of the extent of delays and cost over-runs of the massive Snowy 2.0 project.
Sophie Vorrath

Nov 7, 2022

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