Drax is set to invest £80 million in a refurbishment of its ‘Hollow Mountain’ Cruachan pumped storage hydro power station in Scotland, aimed at increasing its capacity.
Pumped storage plants work like big water batteries.
They use turbines to move water uphill when there’s extra power, storing it.
Later, when power is needed, the stored water is released downhill to generate electricity.
Drax has chosen global hydropower technology supplier ANDRITZ as the main contractor for the project.
ANDRITZ Hydro, renowned for its electromechanical equipment and services for hydropower stations, boasts over 180 years of operations and has installed approximately 470GW of capacity.
The £80 million project will entail increasing the generating capacity of two of the plant’s four units by a combined 40MWs, bringing the total capacity to 480MWs.
These units, commissioned in 1965, house components, including turbines, exceeding 50 years in service.
Situated on the shores of Loch Awe in Argyll, Drax’s Cruachan Power Station is one of only four pumped storage hydro facilities in the UK.
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