Work on the Federal Government’s $600 million gas project at Kurri Kurri is set to kick off early next year.
A business case released on Saturday has revealed design work is underway, with construction workers expected to hit the ground in January.
The gas-fired peaking plant will be built at the former Hydro Aluminium smelter site at Kurri Kurri.
The facility has been proposed to fill an expected gap in power generation when Liddell Coal-fired Power Station closes and will have the capacity to generate up to 750MW of electricity.
Snowy Hydro says the plant will facilitate the equivalent of 160 thousand household solar installations and reduce emissions by roughly 87% compared to the same energy generated by Bayswater Coal Fired Power Station.
The company predicts around 600 construction jobs will be created during construction, along with 1200 indirect employment opportunities.
Once up and running, the plant is expected to employ 20 operational and maintenance staff.
The project is set to be commissioned in November 2023 before operations begin in December 2023.