Cruachan Power Station

Construction commenced in 1959, and the power station was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 15 October 1965. The concept was designed by Sir Edward MacColl, who died before it opened. At the peak of the construction, there were around 4,000people working on the project. The cost of the scheme was . Cruachan is pre-dated by the smaller 232 MW Lünerseewerk (de) (Austria, 1958) and the 360 MW Ffestiniog Power Station (Wales, 1963). It is one of four pumped storage schemes in the United Kingdom. Its construction was linked to that of Hunterston A nuclear power station, to store surplus night-time nuclear-generated electrical energy. The power station was originally operated by the North of…

The Cruachan station temporarily stores energy at times of low demand, and releases it at times of high demand, when electricity prices are higher, Despite the use of some rainwater, Cruachan is not a net generator of electricity: it uses more energy for pumping water and spinning its turbines than it generates. Around 10% of the energy from the station is generated from rainwater; the rest is from the water pumped up from Loch Awe. It can go from standby to full production in twominutes, or 30seconds if compressed air is used to start the turbines spinning. The power station is required to keep a 12-hour water supply in order to provide a black start capability to the National Grid, to…