Cruachan expansion plans ‘boost for Loch Awe’
Plans to more than double generation capacity from Cruachan power station have met ‘agreement in principle’ so far.
Renewable power company Drax launched the second stage of its public consultation last week by hosting two community sessions in Dalmally and Taynuilt.
The plans are for a second underground power station to be built adjacent to the existing one.
Turnout was good at both of the sessions, although in Dalmally Drax officials had to clear up some misconceptions that although energy from Cruachan will go to the Dalmally sub-station, there is no link with SSEN’s proposals to construct a new overhead line from Creag Dhubh to land east of Dalmally. Members of the project team were on hand to answer people's questions, but in Taynuilt the general mood was ‘approval in principle’, said Taynuilt Community Council convener David Sloss.
He said there was a great deal of interest in the plans and, as Drax was an important employer in the area, a lot of people were curious to find out more. He added that changes made to plans from previous community feedback such as the potential rerouting of the A85 and Drax’s consideration to impact on the local environment gave ‘a degree of reassurance’.
Taynuilt community councillor Murray Sim also said Drax’s plans had shown the company was responding to what the communities wanted. Marlyn Turbitt, who lives in the village, said she was hearing positive feelings about the plans and she ‘couldn’t see it being disruptive’ with a lot of the infrastructure already in place.
Drax says hundreds of jobs will be created during the new power station’s construction. The 600 megawatt station in a new, hollowed-out cavern will increase the site’s total capacity to 1.04 gigawatts.
The existing upper reservoir, which can hold 2.4 billion gallons of water, has the capacity to serve both power stations.
There will be another exhibition and consultation in early 2022. If planning is approved, work to build the new capacity at Cruachan could get under way in 2024 and be up and running in 2030.