Cruachan Dam
Encyclopedia
The Cruachan Dam is a pumped-storage
hydroelectric
dam and power station in Argyll and Bute
, Scotland
.
The power station was built in the early 1960s, and has been operational since 1966. It was originally operated by the Hydro-electric Board, but has been owned by Scottish Power
since the privatisation of Britain's electricity industry in 1990.
Water is pumped from Loch Awe
to the upper reservoir, 360 m above, during periods of low energy use (such as at night). A 316 m-long dam
forms this reservoir. Additionally the upper reservoir receives rainwater; tunnels have been built through Ben Cruachan to catch rain coming from all sides of the mountain. Around 10 % of the energy from the station is generated from rainwater; the rest is from the water pumped up from Loch Awe.
The station is capable of generating 440 MW of electricity. It can go from standby to full production in two minutes, thus it is used to deal with periods of peak demand on the grid. If the turbines are on "spinning reserve" (turning in air, awaiting the rush of water) full output can be achieved within 30 seconds. It can operate for 22 hours before the supply of water in the top reservoir is exhausted. The power station is required to keep a 12 hour emergency supply; this is referred to as a Black Start
.
There are four turbines, which operate both as pumps and generators. These are housed in a cavern located within Ben Cruachan
. The excavation of this cavern required the removal of 220,002 m³ of rock and soil.
The power station was listed by the conservation organisation DoCoMoMo as one of the sixty key monuments
of post-war
Scottish architecture. There is a visitor centre at the outflow to Loch Awe, and tours of the tunnels are available for visitors.
The dam features in Danny MacAskill
's bike trials video, "Way Back Home", released in 2010.
Pumped-storage hydroelectricity
Pumped-storage hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric power generation used by some power plants for load balancing. The method stores energy in the form of water, pumped from a lower elevation reservoir to a higher elevation. Low-cost off-peak electric power is used to run the pumps...
hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
dam and power station in Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy area in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead.Argyll and Bute covers the second largest administrative area of any Scottish council...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The power station was built in the early 1960s, and has been operational since 1966. It was originally operated by the Hydro-electric Board, but has been owned by Scottish Power
Scottish Power
ScottishPower Ltd. is a vertically integrated energy company with its headquarters in Glasgow, Scotland. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but in 2006 it became a subsidiary of the Spanish utility Iberdrola...
since the privatisation of Britain's electricity industry in 1990.
Water is pumped from Loch Awe
Loch Awe
Loch Awe is a large body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It has also given its name to a village on its banks, variously known as Loch Awe, or Lochawe. There are islands within the loch such as Innis Chonnell and Inishail.- The loch :It is the third largest freshwater loch in Scotland with...
to the upper reservoir, 360 m above, during periods of low energy use (such as at night). A 316 m-long dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
forms this reservoir. Additionally the upper reservoir receives rainwater; tunnels have been built through Ben Cruachan to catch rain coming from all sides of the mountain. Around 10 % of the energy from the station is generated from rainwater; the rest is from the water pumped up from Loch Awe.
The station is capable of generating 440 MW of electricity. It can go from standby to full production in two minutes, thus it is used to deal with periods of peak demand on the grid. If the turbines are on "spinning reserve" (turning in air, awaiting the rush of water) full output can be achieved within 30 seconds. It can operate for 22 hours before the supply of water in the top reservoir is exhausted. The power station is required to keep a 12 hour emergency supply; this is referred to as a Black Start
Black start
A black start is the process of restoring a power station to operation without relying on the external electric power transmission network.Normally, the electric power used within the plant is provided from the station's own generators...
.
There are four turbines, which operate both as pumps and generators. These are housed in a cavern located within Ben Cruachan
Ben Cruachan
Ben Cruachan is a 1126 m mountain that is the highest point in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It gives its name to the Cruachan Dam, a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station located in a cavern inside the mountain, as well as providing the slogan for Clan Campbell.It is the high point of a...
. The excavation of this cavern required the removal of 220,002 m³ of rock and soil.
The power station was listed by the conservation organisation DoCoMoMo as one of the sixty key monuments
DoCoMoMo Key Scottish Monuments
DoCoMoMo Key Scottish Monuments is a list of 60 notable post-war buildings in Scotland, compiled in 1993 by the international architectural conservation organisation DoCoMoMo....
of post-war
Post-war
A post-war period or postwar period is the interval immediately following the ending of a war and enduring as long as war does not resume. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum when a war between the same parties resumes at a later date...
Scottish architecture. There is a visitor centre at the outflow to Loch Awe, and tours of the tunnels are available for visitors.
The dam features in Danny MacAskill
Danny MacAskill
Danny MacAskill, also known as 'Danny MegaSkill', is a Scottish trials cyclist, from Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye. He is 176 centimeters tall and works professionally as a street trials pro rider for Inspired Bicycles Ltd. He released , a five-and-a-half-minute street trials video, filmed by his...
's bike trials video, "Way Back Home", released in 2010.
See also
- Ben CruachanBen CruachanBen Cruachan is a 1126 m mountain that is the highest point in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It gives its name to the Cruachan Dam, a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station located in a cavern inside the mountain, as well as providing the slogan for Clan Campbell.It is the high point of a...
- List of power stations in Scotland