A new Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) is set to begin work on the Snowy 2.0 project in Australia, Webuild has announced. The custom-built machine is 178m long and features eight trailing gantries and a cutterhead nearly 12 metres in diameter.
Engineered for the complex geological conditions along the route, this TBM is among the most advanced of its kind. It’s designed to handle fractured rock and extreme ground movements, with a short shield, high thrust capacity, and the ability to switch between operating modes based on underground conditions.
The machine recently passed its factory acceptance test and will soon begin excavating the most technically difficult stretch of the project: a 17km tunnel linking the Tantangara Reservoir to the Snowy 2.0 power station, located nearly a kilometre underground.
The Snowy 2.0 project is being delivered by the Future Generation Joint Venture (FGJV) – led by Webuild and its Australian subsidiary Clough – on behalf of Snowy Hydro. The project is a key part of Australia’s renewable energy strategy.
In late June it was announced that the first section of tunnel lining has been poured at the Tantagara site as part of the project .
