Drax has appointed global technology and engineering firm Voith Hydro to move its plans forward for its proposed 600MW underground pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) project in Scotland.
The 600MW Hollow Mountain power station will be built inside Argyll’s highest mountain Ben Cruachan, alongside the company’s 440MW PHES station Cruachan. The two will share the existing upper reservoir as it has enough capacity for both at 2.4 billion gallons of water.
A new, hollowed-out cavern will be constructed, with more than a million tonnes of rock excavated to create the space within the mountain. Exploratory ground works are underway at the site, with seismic surveys being undertaken to provide crucial geological data about the rock in which the new plant would be housed.
Voith Hydro will complete a Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study for the design’s mechanical and electrical components.
Drax’s proposals received development consent from the Scottish government last year, but the project’s continued progression requires an updated policy and market support mechanism from the UK government, which has been criticised by the energy industry.
