The Princess Royal has visited Cruachan Power Station in Scotland, UK, to mark the 60th anniversary of the pumped storage hydro facility’s opening.
During the visit on 11 May, HRH The Princess Royal unveiled a commemorative plaque at the station, which is owned and operated by Drax Group. The plant, located near Oban and carved into the granite interior of Ben Cruachan, was opened by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1965.
Cruachan was the first large-scale reversible pumped storage hydro facility in the world and remains an important part of the UK electricity system. The station stores excess renewable electricity during periods of low demand and generates power when demand increases, helping to balance the grid.
The Princess Royal was welcomed to the site by Will Gardiner, Chief Executive Officer of Drax Group, alongside company employees and representatives from the local community.
“Cruachan is an engineering marvel that has stood the test of time,” explained Gardiner. “As Britain builds the clean energy system of the future, flexible assets like Cruachan will be absolutely central to keeping the lights on. We are deeply honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness to mark this milestone, and to celebrate the generations of skilled people who have operated and maintained this extraordinary station over the past six decades.”
Drax Group recently announced an £80 million investment programme at the site, including refurbishment of two generating units and replacement of all four main inlet water valves.
