Tunnel boring machine wedged in hard rock, leaving Snowy 2.0 hydropower project with new issues
A tunnel boring machine in the Snowy 2.0 hydropower project has become wedged in hard rock and unable to move forward.
Tunnelling problems are plaguing the $12 billion Snowy 2.0 hydropower project, with a boring machine previously bogged in soft ground now wedged in hard rock and struggling to move.
The tunnel boring machine named Florence had been making slow progress in recent weeks as it cut through hard rock at the Tantangara site, one of several drilling locations in Kosciuszko National Park.
The ABC understands that earlier this month, Florence was mistakenly turned too sharply from a straight line into a curve, causing part of the cutting head to become wedged. Further boring compounded the problem, with the machine making only incremental movements since.
In the words on an engiineer on site..
Multiple sources have told the ABC the situation is more serious than has been publicly acknowledged by Snowy Hydro and could take weeks or even months before normal drilling resumes.
"Wedged the thing in good and proper" one source said, with another simply saying, "It's f****d."
Fun Fact - If we started building a nuclear power plant at the same time as Snowy 2...it would be operational & supplying 100 years of clean cheap reliable power 24/7/365.........long before florence finishes digging.
