June 2018 Drilling down: the Snowy 2.0 geotechnical investigation WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK: Drilling near Tantangara Reservoir, 2018. [email protected] 1800 623 776 ISSUE 41 Snowy 2.0- explaining the economics With Snowy 2.0 in the works we are currently in the heart of the energy policy debate. CEO Paul Broad gives an update and talks about the economics of the project... It’s no surprise that with Snowy 2.0 on the cards, Snowy Hydro takes a very commercial approach to public and media interest in our business is all capital investments and we continue to scrutinise heightened. the Snowy 2.0 business case as we progress to a final investment decision later this year. We have The debate around energy policy is ongoing so we’ve a proven track record of investment, having never continued our efforts to outline the critical role that written off a single dollar on investments we have Snowy 2.0 and the Snowy Scheme will play in the made. energy market of the future. In our view we’re past the tipping point. With the cost of new renewables Pursuing Snowy 2.0 is a commercial decision to falling and the scheduled closure of coal plants, strategically grow our business. The project will the economics favour a future energy market provide reliable, dispatchable energy generation with a higher amount of intermittent renewable (2,000 megawatts (MW)) and large-scale energy generation. This market reality means we’re going storage (175 hours or 350,000 megawatt hours to need more dispatchable generation and large- (MWh)) and builds on our existing capabilities. With scale storage to ensure our lights stay on. a higher amount of intermittent energy generation, we expect to see increasing market volatility which Too often we hear ‘Snowy 2.0 or…’ - the reality is means higher high prices and lower low prices. we’re going to need ‘Snowy 2.0 and…’. We’re quite This spread of pricing, or difference between the excited about some of the other projects being peaks and troughs, is a key factor that underpins considered across the country. We expect that a the energy storage products in the business case. range of new generation, energy storage options and demand management will be needed to meet At times where there is an excess supply of energy our needs in the future. and low (or even minus) prices in the market, Snowy will pump. When energy demand is high - Snowy Hydro NEWS 2 | Snowy Mountains Control Centre Snowy 2.0- explaining the economics we’ll generate and help put downward pressure on Even based on conservative assumptions, Snowy 2.0 the price spikes in the market. The combination of has an internal rate of return of 8%, which exceeds dispatchable generation and large-scale storage our stringent investment hurdles. An independent means Snowy 2.0 and our existing Scheme can sell economic report produced as part of the 2.0 a range of products to the energy market including: feasibility study confirms that the products we sell today will be in even greater demand in the future. • Storage products - buying energy at low prices The MJA report and an overview of the business and selling at higher prices. Note: Snowy 2.0’s case are available on the Snowy Hydro website. current modelling assumes pumping (backed to a great extent by excess renewable supply in MJA and Snowy Hydro’s modelling also suggests off-peak periods) at $40 MWh and generating at that the capacity of Snowy 2.0 alone will not be peak times at $86 MWh (and above). enough to meet the NEM’s demands in the future. From the early 2030s, we expect to need further • Capacity products - selling ‘insurance’ to expansions of the Snowy Scheme (Snowy 3.0 and provide price certainty to market participants 4.0) to keep up with the rapidly-changing NEM. and protecting them from price shocks. For these contracts, premiums are paid in advance We expect to internally fund Snowy 2.0 from our ($ per MW per hour). own balance sheet and we are in discussions with a range of financial institutions about funding. • Firming products - contracts with intermittent renewable generators where Snowy generates You may have seen some of the geotechnical drilling to make renewables both physically reliable and program which is well past the halfway mark now. financially viable so they can commit to supply We are doing a lot more drilling, particularly to the contracts. Note: 1MW of hydro can ‘firm up’ western side of the project area, to ensure we have more than 1MW of wind and solar a better understanding of the rock in the cavern location. While in some areas the rock conditions • Ancillary services - services to stabilise the are better than we initially thought, the fault line grid and provide system security, such as load which runs through the tunnel alignment placement following frequency control, voltage control, is unfortunately as bad as we expected. inertia etc. Snowy Hydro NEWS | 3 The next step for us is the exploratory works released an expression of interest to the energy 5 STAR CUSTOMER SERVICE program which involves us doing even more drilling. market for up to 800 megawatts of wind and solar It may seem like we’re doing a huge amount of generation. As a business Snowy Hydro is ‘energy drilling but it’s the best way for us to ‘de-risk’ the short’, that is we need more energy to meet the project. The more work we do now to understand needs of our customers than what we generate the geology the more accurate our project designs (through the Scheme and other generation assets). will be, saving us money and time in the long run. On an annual basis we need about 7 terawatt hours Canstar Blue Award Most Satisfied Customers It’s much better for us to know exactly where the of energy and typically we only generate between fault line is now, rather than encounter it mid-way 3-4 terawatt hours each year. This means we through digging a tunnel. have to buy energy from the wholesale market. 2010 2011 2012 2013 By signing these offtake agreements with new The exploratory works aim to get us that next level renewable projects we will have more contracted Electricity Electricity Electricity Natural Gas of geological information. The project involves us generation to help meet some of the shortfall. Providers (VIC) Providers (VIC) Providers (VIC) Providers (VIC) tunnelling into the spot where we expect to put the main power station cavern and once in-situ, doing Our retail businesses Red and Lumo energy horizontal drilling to pinpoint the exact location and continue to go from strength to strength - recently cavern orientation. We are currently preparing a the retail team moved into the iconic, refurbished 2014 2015 2016 2017 comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement Bryant and May building in Melbourne, meaning all for these exploratory works and once again, more of our retail staff are now located in the one place. Electricity Electricity Electricity Dual Fuel information is available in this newsletter and our Providers (NSW) Providers (NSW) Providers (NSW) National website. Red Energy was also the recipient of four Canstar Blue Awards for Most Satisfied Customers I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Electricity Providers, NSW, Natural Gas Providers, the work of some of the fantastic local businesses NSW, Natural Gas Providers, VIC and the 2018 2017 2017 2017 2018 who have, and continue to, support us with Snowy Solar, National award. These were in addition 2.0 including Jindabyne Landscaping, Mulligan’s to the 2017 Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Electricity Natural Gas Natural Gas Solar Drilling, South-East Printing, Heli Surveys, South- Award, Electricity Provider of the year. I am Providers (NSW) Providers (VIC) Providers (NSW) National East Waste Recovery, Withers Earthmoving, Ryans incredibly proud of all of our retail team and their Dozer Hire, Snow Goose Adaminaby, Peter Burns achievements. Surveyors and True North Helicopters, just to name a few. With winter well and truly setting in I would also like to remind the community to take extra care on our As one of the major employers in the region roads around the beautiful Snowy Mountains. The Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Award with a long and proud track record of hiring weather at this time of year creates increased traffic locals, supporting local businesses and the hazards with snow and ice on the roads, as well as wider community, it is great to see this project is increased travellers with the ski traffic heading to generating economic activity across the region. the slopes. I urge you all to be cautious, drive to the 2011 2014 2015 2016 conditions and stay safe on the roads. Electricity Gas Provider Electricity and Electricity On a final note for Snowy 2.0, we have continued our Provider of the Year Gas Provider Provider community consultation right across the region. We of the Year of the Year of the Year have had over 270 people attend these consultation sessions in Cooma, Tumut, Adaminaby, Jindabyne, Talbingo, Corryong and Tumbarumba, and we are committed to keeping you all informed, and receiving your feedback, as we progress towards 2017 final investment decision later this year. Electricity Provider While Snowy 2.0 is keeping us busy there is always of the Year lots happening across our business. We recently With winter well and truly setting in I would also like to remind the community to take extra care on our RED57375 RE552V3190318 RED57375 roads around the beautiful Snowy Mountains..