Home / About us / Our projects / Cruachan 2 Cruachan 2 Cruachan 2 planning application We have kickstarted the planning process to build a new underground pumped hydro storage power station – more than doubling the electricity generating capacity at Cruachan. The 600 megawatt (MW) power station will be located inside Ben Cruachan – Argyll’s highest mountain – and increase the site’s total capacity to 1 gigawatt (GW). The new power station would be built within a new, hollowed-out cavern which would be large enough to fit Big Ben on its side, to the east of Drax’s existing 440MW pumped storage hydro station. More than a million tonnes of rock would be excavated to create the cavern and other parts of the power station. The existing upper reservoir, which can hold 2.4 billion gallons of water, has the capacity to serve both power stations. Drax kickstarts planning process to expand its iconic ‘Hollow Mountain’ Cruachan Power Station Read Press Release You can have your say on the Cruachan 2 proposals from July 1, 2021. Cruachan Expansion Why Cruachan 2? Great Britain’s energy storage capacity will need to grow to around 30 gigawatts (GW) or more over the next 20 to 30 years, from 3 GW in 2020, found analysis for Drax Electric Insights by researchers at Imperial College London and Apricum. The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) advised that a new market mechanism is needed before projects such as Cruachan 2 can be deployed. The REA’s 2021 report said that some 30 GW of longer-duration energy storage capacity is necessary for the UK economy to be net zero by 2050. Cruachan 2 is on the European Union’s 4th list of Projects of Common Interest. A 2016 feasibility study indicated it would be possible to develop up to 600 megawatts (MW) of additional capacity at Cruachan Power Station, our pumped storage hydro plant in Scotland. The study was published two years after the Scottish Government’s third National Planning Framework, setting out a long-term vision for development and investment across Scotland over the next 20 to 30 years, commented: “… we particularly support development at Cruachan in Argyll, a nationally important pumped storage facility with significant potential for enhanced capacity.” Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner “This is an exciting and important project which underlines Drax’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis and supporting the energy system as it continues to decarbonise. Our plans to expand Cruachan will unlock more renewable electricity to power homes and businesses across the country, and support hundreds of new jobs in rural Scotland. “Last year, the UK’s lack of energy storage capacity meant wind farms had to be paid to turn off and we lost out on enough renewable power to supply a million homes. We need to stop renewable power from going to waste by storing it, and Drax is ready to move mountains to do just that.” — Will Gardiner, CEO, Drax, June 2021 What is pumped storage hydro? Read More Cruachan Power Station [click to view/download] “Electricity storage, including pumped hydro storage, has a key role to play in helping the UK end its contribution to climate change by 2050. “We are making significant progress in ensuring this technology can enter the market, and compete fairly alongside other, more established forms of energy. “As set out in our Energy White Paper, we will outline our next steps for removing barriers to the deployment of large scale and longer duration electricity storage shortly.” — UK Government spokeswoman quoted by BBC News, June 2021 About Cruachan Power Station: The Hollow Mountain Cruachan Visitor Centre and tours Energy storage resources Related Stories Previous PRESS RELEASES Community events to discuss Drax’s Cruachan expansion PRESS RELEASES Former Australian PM visits Drax’s iconic ‘Hollow Mountain’ Power Station during COP26 to see major expansion plan PRESS RELEASES Drax CEO responds to BEIS Smart Systems & Flexibility Plan Next Sign up for updates from Drax Sign up to receive our email newsletter to receive a regular roundup of Drax Group news and announcements Any personal data collected will be respected and protected and used for purposes of the newsletter only. Contact us Accessibility Compliance Disclaimer Modern Slavery Act Privacy notices Sitemap REMIT Terms of use Website terms and conditions By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies