Sustainability assessment of two Australian hydro megaprojects

Abstract

Abstract This paper comprises comparative sustainability assessments of the Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project and the Snowy 1.0 hydro project. The compliance of these two projects is studied using the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP). The method for Snowy 1.0, built between 1949 and 1974, was an ex-post analysis using historical documents. The method for Snowy 2.0, recently approved for construction and due for completion in 2024, was to review government documents and interview key stakeholders. These stakeholders included people with intimate knowledge of Snowy 2.0 and other megaproject experts per se. Transcripts of these interviews were analyzed, and summary arguments developed. The interview questions were structured around the Early Stage and Preparation phases in the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol. The conclusion is that Snowy 1.0 performed well on the sustainability assessment but that Snowy 2.0 fails to meet the Protocol's technical, economic, governance and environmental measures.