Engineering Features of the Snowy Mountains Scheme

Engineering Features of the Snowy Mountains Scheme - Praca Zbiorowa

The Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme is one of the most complex integrated water and hydro-electric power schemes in the world. The scheme, which was constructed from 1949-74, was a pioneering engineering feat for Australia and the world, and remains a fixture in Australia’s calendar of historical achievements. The scheme collects and stores the water that would normally flow east to the coast and diverts it through trans-mountain tunnels and power stations. The water is then released into the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers for irrigation. The scheme is operated and maintained by Snowy Hydro Limited. Sixteen major dams, seven major power stations (two underground), a pumping station, 145 km of inter-connected trans-mountain tunnels, 80 km of aqueducts and 12.9 km of pressure pipelines were constructed. Even before the scheme was completed, it was named as one of the civil engineering wonders of the modern world. Today, Snowy Hydro continues to play a vital role in the growth and the development of Australia’s national economy, by diverting water that underwrites over $3 billion in agricultural produce and by generating clean renewable energy.