On Coire Glas, in the remote Scottish Highlands, geologists and engineers are developing a vision of Scotland’s energy future. SSE Renewables plans the first pumped hydro storage facility in the UK for decades here, taking advantage of the unique and awe inspiring landscape. But first, they need to understand conditions on and in the ground. And to do that, they needed to trek to the mountaintop, bringing in all the tools they needed by hand or by helicopter.

Coire Glas is the largest hydro storage project in UK history and would be the first one to be built for 40 years. The project will have a 1500 MW capacity, enough to power 3 million homes for 24 hours, all of which can be generated at the flip of a switch. But the project is located up a mountain in the Scottish Highlands. SSE has been working on plans for Coire Glas for over a decade. Last year ground investigations began. 

Jessica Smith works for SSE and is technical authority for engineering geology on the project, she explains how the remote location led to Coire Glas feeling more like an offshore project.

With access to the site so limited, David Shillitto and Balazs Rigler of Fugro had to come up with clever and innovative ways to get equipment to site and complete the necessary ground investigation, including the use of a helicopter to deliver the borehole drilling equipment.

The ground investigation team work is now complete and the data collected will be used to inform the final design. The guests all highlight the importance of collaboration and early contractor involvement in delivering the ground investigation comprehensively and efficiently despite the conditions.

Guests

Jessica Smith, senior engineering geologist, SSE Renewables

Chris Jack, technical director, COWI

Balazs Rigler,  UK wireline services manager, Fugro

David Shillitto, senior project manager, Fugro