60 years of Cruachan Power Station

Cruachan Power Station: keeping the lights on for 60 years

Cruachan Power Station was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1965 – it was the first reversible pumped storage hydro system of this scale to be built in the world and is now one of just four pumped storage hydro power stations in the UK.

Over the past 60 years, Cruachan has been keeping the lights on in homes across the UK, as well as delivering growth and opportunity for local communities.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II opening Cruachan Power Station in 1965

The role of Cruachan Power Station

Pumped storage hydro is a large-scale method of storing energy that can be converted into hydroelectric power. Cruachan’s design enables it to store excess renewable power from sources such as wind farms. When the wind isn’t blowing, the plant then uses this stored power to plug gaps in supplies – making it a critical component of the UK’s national energy security.

Learn more about pumped storage hydro

Cruachan upgrade project

Cruachan can play an even bigger role in the fight against climate change, enabling the UK to reach its goal of having a clean power system by 2030.

We’re investing £80m in a major refurbishment of Cruachan Power Station, which will increase the facility’s total generating capacity to 480MWs. The upgrade will improve the site’s operability and reliability, lengthening its lifespan and further supporting UK energy security.

Join us in our celebrations

To celebrate Cruachan’s 60th anniversary, we’re planning a series of upcoming events and features. Check this page or our social media channels for regular updates on our activities.

As part of our celebrations, we’re inviting you to share your memories of the power station through photos and video from years gone by. We’d love to use these as part of the celebrations across all our channels, so please do scan, share and send your memories to us at CruachanPowerStationPhotos@drax.com