Scottish company Drax Group has decided to apply for the expansion of the Cruachan pumped storage power plant (PSPP) to increase Britain’s energy security, the company said in a statement.
“More domestic renewable energy will help the UK tackle the energy crisis and end dependence on fuel imports. The new project will also help boost the Scottish economy,” said Ian Kinneard, spokesman for the company.
The press release added that Drax Group decided to expand the pumped storage power plant by constructing an auxiliary underground station, which would be made by digging a giant cave in the highest mountain in Argyll and Bute County.
The auxiliary power plant will have a capacity of up to 600 MW. With its help, the total capacity of the project will be expanded to 1.04 GW. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2024, with commissioning by 2030.
On May 12, the head of the British energy regulator Ofgem, Jonathan Brearley, said that rising gas and electricity bills were becoming “a matter of life and death” for some people in the UK.
Brearley stressed that he regularly communicates with clients and knows how difficult it has become for businesses and households with rising energy prices.