In October, the team from the Dr. Sauer & Partners' London office set out on a team-building company trip to the Scottish Highlands and to visit the Cruachan pumped storage hydro power station. The destination was chosen for its breath-taking landscape, which provided the perfect setting for team building activities such as walks and hikes in the fresh air. In addition, we enjoyed superb hospitality, local cuisine and of course, whisky!
The Scottish Highlands are also the scene of current and future pumped storage hydro power plants that will play a central role in the UK’s future net zero electricity grid. The team decided to visit this area and the operational Cruachan power station to experience the scale of these projects and to learn more about their geotechnical and operational requirements.
The Cruachan experience (also known as The Hollow Mountain) lead the team from the starting point at Loch Awe, the lower reservoir of the scheme, one kilometre inside the Ben Cruachan mountain to the cavernous machine hall with the four power-generating turbines. Here, cavern construction, turbine and power station operation and maintenance as well as general topics about energy storage and the interface of the power station with the national electricity grid were discussed with Cruachan power station employees.
After the subterranean journey, some team members tackled a 400m elevation to venture up the mountain to the site of Cruachan Dam and further uphill to reach the summit of Ben Cruachan. Giving dramatic views of the impressive dam and upper reservoir in front of a backdrop of the Scottish Highlands. The team could explore some of the geotechnical engineering features that are part of the project including slope stabilisation and rockfall protection measures.
The trip offered useful insights into the energy sector and an understanding of upcoming projects. Despite the typical Scottish autumn weather, our London team had a great time during this trip and looks forward to putting the newly acquired knowledge into practice.
