Engineering for Generations: Delivering Hydropower That Endures

Sabrina Kost – Managing Director, ARX Oceania

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As part of International Women's Day hear directly from Sabrina on her experiences working in the hydropower sector:

For Sabrina Kost, hydropower represents more than renewable energy. It is about building assets that endure—engineering systems designed not just for today’s needs, but for the generations that follow. Over an international career spanning more than 18 years in underground infrastructure, Sabrina has developed a deep conviction that long-life assets such as hydropower schemes are among the most responsible investments societies can make as they transition to a low-carbon future.

Educated at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Sabrina began her career in Europe before relocating to Australia in 2008. Since then, she has established herself as a trusted leader in the delivery, review and optimisation of complex underground works across the water, transport and energy sectors. Today, as Managing Director of ARX Oceania, she combines strategic leadership with hands-on technical involvement in some of Australia’s most challenging hydropower and underground infrastructure projects.

Hydropower at scale: supporting Snowy 2.0

Amongst Sabrina’s current hydropower involvement is Snowy 2.0, Australia’s largest pumped hydro project and one of the most ambitious underground energy schemes being delivered globally. The 2,000 MW pumped storage project links the existing Tantangara and Talbingo reservoirs through an extensive network of deep waterway tunnels, shafts and underground caverns within the Kosciuszko National Park.

ARX is currently engaged in supporting the contractor delivery of Snowy 2.0, providing specialist underground engineering expertise across critical elements of the works. Under Sabrina’s leadership, ARX’s role focuses on design review, technical assurance, constructability advice and risk management for complex tunnelling and pressure tunnel systems—supporting safe, efficient and resilient delivery of the underground infrastructure that underpins the scheme.

“Snowy 2.0 is a reminder of just how central underground engineering is to hydropower,” Sabrina explains. “These assets operate under extreme hydraulic and geological conditions. Getting the underground design right is fundamental—not just for construction, but for the entire operating life of the scheme.”

Sabrina herself has been deeply involved in Snowy 2.0 over several years, including earlier roles supporting the client as Owner’s Engineer. This continuity of experience—from client-side technical assurance through to contractor support—has given her a holistic understanding of the project’s challenges and opportunities. It also reinforces one of her core professional principles: that collaboration across interfaces is essential for the successful delivery of complex hydropower assets.

Designing for longevity and resilience

What draws Sabrina to hydropower, particularly pumped storage, is its longevity. Unlike many infrastructure assets, hydropower schemes are designed to operate for many decades, often well beyond their original design life when properly maintained and upgraded.

“In hydropower, every design decision carries long-term consequences,” she says. “You’re designing not just for construction, but for operation, maintenance, safety and adaptability over 50, 80 or even 100 years.”

This long-term mindset shapes ARX’s contribution to Snowy 2.0, where careful consideration of geological uncertainty, ground–structure interaction and construction methodology is essential. By supporting the contractor with independent thinking, technical challenge and practical solutions, Sabrina and her team help ensure that the underground works deliver both immediate constructability and long-term performance.

Her earlier hydropower experience—including major underground power station and tunnel works on projects such as the Ulu Jelai Hydroelectric Power Scheme in Malaysia, as well as feasibility-stage hydropower developments in Papua New Guinea—has reinforced the importance of adaptability and robust engineering judgment. “The ground always teaches you something,” she reflects. “Successful hydropower projects are those that respect uncertainty and respond intelligently to it.”

Leadership in complex infrastructure

As Managing Director of ARX Oceania (Pini Australia Pty Ltd), Sabrina is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the business while maintaining technical excellence across projects. Leading teams on assets as significant as Snowy 2.0 requires not only engineering capability, but also trust, clarity and strong values.

She believes that leadership in hydropower and underground construction must go hand in hand with stewardship. “These projects shape landscapes, communities and energy systems for generations. That comes with a responsibility to make sound, ethical and sustainable decisions.”

Sabrina is also an active member of the International Hydropower Association (IHA), and a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion within the engineering profession. She served as Deputy Chair of the Australian Tunnelling Society’s Diversity in Tunnelling Sub-Committee and is actively involved in initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining a more diverse workforce. For her, diversity is not a ‘nice to have’—it is critical to innovation and risk management in complex projects.

“Hydropower projects are inherently multidisciplinary and high-risk,” she says. “You need different perspectives at the table to challenge assumptions and arrive at the best solutions.” A collaborative approach and proper risk-sharing mechanisms, such as those stipulated in the FIDIC Emerald Book, are key to success, according to Sabrina.

Looking to the future

As power systems evolve and renewable penetration increases, Sabrina sees pumped hydropower—and the many promising developments across Australia—playing an increasingly critical role in providing stability, flexibility and long-duration storage. From new pumped hydro projects in Queensland and Tasmania to expanded feasibility studies nationwide, she is hopeful that several key initiatives will progress in the near future. As an active member of the International Hydropower Association (IHA), she is optimistic about the role that experienced engineers and specialist firms like ARX can play in shaping this future.

"Hydropower reminds us that sustainability isn't just about carbon—it's about durability, adaptability and responsibility to future generations," she concludes. "Being able to contribute to projects like Snowy 2.0, and to help deliver infrastructure that will still be operating long after we are gone, is incredibly motivating."

For Sabrina Kost, hydropower is not just part of the energy transition—it is part of a legacy.