"In one hour it could produce 20 times the 100 megawatts an hour expected from the battery proposed by the South Australian Government, but would deliver it constantly for almost a week," [Mr Turnbull] said.
I thought he'd know better than to come out with such gibberish. Maybe he was misquoted.
That aside, Snowy Hydro is energy limited, because there is only so much water (less in extended dry spells). If it produces a higher power output, it can do so for less time. That is why it's not used for base load - it would empty its reservoirs.
Maybe the government intends to use the extra power generation only during extreme demand to avert rolling blackouts. That wouldn't use much of the water in the scheme of things, but I seriously question whether the proposal is the cheapest solution.
Sylvia.