Drax beginning ground expedition for 600-MW pumped-storage project in Scotland

• UK power manufacturer Drax Group Plc (LON: DRX) said on Wednesday that it has actually started performing some exploratory help a project to expand the existing Cruachan pumped-storage hydroelectric power station in Scotland by 600 MW.

As part of the initial ground examination, the business is drilling a 70-metre (229.7 feet) deep borehole to recover rock core which will certainly be analysed in a lab to determine architectural and geological security for elements of the new plant.

The Cruachan power station is a 440-MW facility situated inside the Ben Cruachan mountain in Argyll as well as Bute, Scotland. For its below ground expansion, Drax plans to dig deep into greater than 2 million tonnes of rock to produce a new cavern inside the mountain.

If become aware, the project would certainly become the UK's initial pumped-storage hydro power plant given that 1984. Drax is currently waiting to acquire development consent from the Scottish government, which is expected to arrive in the 2nd quarter of 2023. Additionally, the project will also need the UK government to embrace a new policy and market support framework to enable personal financial investment in large-scale long-duration storage projects.

Drax's financial investment decision will certainly hinge on permission as well as the ideal regulatory framework, the firm stated. With those in hand, Drax would certainly invest around GBP 500 million (USD 608.1 m/EUR 579.2 m) in the Cruachan growth and also bring the plant online in 2030.