What was the purpose of the Snowy Mountain Scheme?
The Snowy Mountains Scheme is the largest hydro-electric scheme in Australia. It diverts the reliable waters of the south-flowing Snowy River, westwards, beneath the Great Dividing Range, and in doing so provides electric power and additional water for the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers to be used for irrigation.
What happened in the Snowy Mountain Scheme?
The Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme was one of the most complex engineering projects in the world. Between 1949 and 1974 the workforce built seven power stations, 16 dams, 80 kilometres of aqueducts and 145 kilometres of tunnels as well as 1600 kilometres of roads and train tracks.
What is the Snowy 2.0 scheme?
Snowy 2.0 is the next chapter in the Snowy Scheme’s history. It is a nation-building renewable energy project that will provide on-demand energy and large-scale storage for many generations to come. To provide context, this is enough energy storage to power three million homes over the course of a week.
When did the Snowy Mountain Scheme finish?
October 21, 1972
Snowy Mountains Scheme/Dates opened
How did the Snowy Mountain Scheme changed Australia?
Creating a multicultural Australia The Snowy Mountains Scheme provided opportunities for thousands of migrants to start a new life in Australia after the devastation of World War Two. In the post World War Two period, Australia was asked by the United Nations to accept 100,000 displaced Europeans.
Who owns the Snowy hydro scheme?
The Commonwealth Government
Snowy Hydro is a fully Australian-owned company, incorporated under the Corporations Act (Cth). It is governed by an independent Board of Directors, and operates on a strictly commercial basis. The Commonwealth Government is the sole shareholder of Snowy Hydro Ltd, from which it receives an annual dividend.
How much electricity does the Snowy Mountain Scheme produce?
The nine Snowy power stations comprise 33 turbines with a total generating capacity of 4,100 megawatts (MW) and produce on average, 4,500 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity each year. The Scheme’s infrastructure also includes the Jindabyne Pumping Station, completed in 1969.
How long will Snowy 2.0 take to build?
Snowy 2.0 will now cost at least $5.1b and take eight years to build, according to the winning contractor.
Who built Snowy Mountain Scheme?
Construction of the Snowy Scheme was managed by the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Authority. It officially began on 17 October 1949 and took 25 years, being officially completed in 1974.