Drax to move mountains to expand hydroelectric plant

ONE of Britain’s biggest power companies is planning to hollow out the side of a Scottish mountain in a bid to produce more green energy.

Drax wants to excavate about two million tons of rock from Ben Cruachan in the southern Highlands to make space for new turbines in its hydropower plant.

The plant works by pumping water from Loch Awe into a reservoir high up the mountain. Water is then released from the reservoir when needed to spin the turbines and generate electricity.

The FTSE 250 company says it acts like a giant battery to smooth out intermittent wind and solar power generation, as water can be pumped up to the reservoir during windy periods and released when wind slumps.

The extension will more than double the capacity of its Cruachan power station at the site to 1.04GW – enough to power around one million homes.

The area Drax is proposing to carve out for new turbines will be large enough to fit Big Ben on its side, and could be up and running by 2030.

Drax is today submitting an application for planning approval for the extension, and is also seeking financial support from the Government.

Exactly what that support would entail is not yet clear, but similar support for offshore wind developments involves a guarantee on electricity prices, funded by a levy on household bills. “The project will also require an updated policy and market support mechanism from the UK Government,” Drax said.

“The existing lack of a framework for long-duration electricity storage and flexibility technologies means that private investment cannot currently be

‘Private investment cannot be secured in new pumped storage hydro projects despite their critical role’

secured in new pumped storage hydro projects, with no new plants built anywhere in the UK since 1984 despite their critical role in decarbonisation.”

Drax says enough wind power to supply one million homes was wasted in 2020 due to lack of energy storage.

Ian Kinnaird, from Drax, said: “Drax’s plan to expand Cruachan will strengthen the UK’S energy security by enabling more homegrown renewable electricity to come online to power homes and businesses across the country, helping to end our reliance on imports and cut costs.”