Our work in 'The Hollow Mountain'

Steve Scott, Cruachan Plant Manager, Owen Moran, Trainee Apprentice Engineer, Alison Boyce, Technical Services Co-ordinator and Sarah Cameron, Scotland Community Manager are just a handful of the many employees at Cruachan Power Station, owned by renewable energy company Drax, who are celebrating the plant’s 60th anniversary celebrations this year.

Cruachan has a long, rich history and with a major £80m upgrade project currently underway, everyone at the power station is looking forward to continuing its legacy, for generations to come.

STEVE SCOTT, CRUACHAN PLANT MANAGER

◆What’s your role at Cruachan Power Station?

I’m the figurehead for everything that goes on here. From maintenance to projects, I make sure it all gets done and that Cruachan is generating the power that the country needs.

◆ How do you feel about working here?

Proud. I’ve been here since 2008 which is now 17 years! I started as engineering manager and worked my way up to where I am now as plant manager. There’s a lot of camaraderie at Cruachan and we all feel like one family.

◆What’s it like celebrating Cruachan’s 60th anniversary?

Unlike other power stations with a lifespan, Cruachan will keep going for years to come. It’s a family environment and at the 60th celebrations there will be a number of generations, from people in their 80s to teenage apprentices. We’re also commemorating the 15 people who were killed in an accident during the construction of Cruachan.

◆ Can you explain how Cruachan works?

We’re like a huge battery. We take water from Loch Awe, pump it up to the reservoir at Cruachan Dam when the demand is low. Then when demand is high, we release that down through the power station which has four turbines that generate 440MW of electricity – enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes. The works over the next three years will see that rise to 480MW and give us a bit more flexibility and speed.

◆Was the plant ground-breaking in 1965?

It was. Cruachan was the first reversible pumped storage hydro power station of its scale in the world and a Herculean piece of work! Today, there’s more cutting-edge technology – we can start and turn around machines quicker, but largely it’s the same physics.

◆ How many homes are powered by Cruachan?

Within 30 seconds Cruachan can reach full load and generate enough power for half a million homes – a phenomenal feat. So, if there’s a big drop in supply, we can flick the switch and get the power going almost immediately – this is really important for energy security and keeping the lights on.

◆ How does it work with wind and solar?

We’re in symbiosis with wind and solar and work closely with those suppliers. It’s not always windy or sunny, especially here in Scotland, so when it’s dark and calm, we’re here to generate electricity. Cruachan can be turned on and off as the market requires, whereas wind and solar have to do what mother nature wants.

◆What have you got in store for the 60th anniversary?

We’re making sure the local community is involved in the celebrations, so we invited 200 school children, from across Argyll, to design a card commemorating Cruachan’s diamond anniversary. Winners were awarded prize money and a science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) grant for their school.

We’re hosting an exhibition later in the year to showcase the competition artwork as well as historic photos of Cruachan, from construction in the 1950s to how it looks today. Staff are excited for a Lego Cruachan Dam and a good night out with current and former employees.

◆ How does it contribute to the local economy?

Beyond the staff in the station, there are local suppliers with many hundreds of Employees. For a rural place like Argyll and Bute, there naturally wouldn’t be many high-quality jobs. But when Cruachan started operations this changed, with growth and opportunity boosted in the local area. Since Drax took over running Cruachan six years ago, we’ve been able to bring new people in as apprentices, through local schools such as Oban High School. We’ve taken on six apprentices overall, three of whom are now well established within the team as fully fledged technicians.

◆What will the upgrade mean?

It will mean Cruachan can continue to help strengthen UK energy security and support the clean energy transition, due to greater flexibility into the National Grid. It will also mean job security for a lot of people and ongoing skills and opportunity for local youth. This year marks its 60th but the upgrade will mean it’s here for a long time into the future.

OWEN MORAN, APPRENTICE ENGINEER

◆When did you first arrive at Cruachan?

Two years ago. Before that I did two work experience placements from Oban High School and applied for the apprenticeship.

◆What was it like the first time you went into the turbine hall, a kilometre below the surface?

I was in awe of the engineering in the cavern. It’s a very unusual place and to work in that on a daily basis is quite something.

◆ Can you tell us what you’ve learnt being an apprentice here?

I learnt the technical engineering knowledge at a training centre for the first year of my apprenticeship and since then I’ve been hands-on with mentors at the power station. But I’ve also grown in confidence which is big for me.

◆ You grew up locally, did you have an ambition to work here?

It was always something I was aware of, living on the doorstep, but it wasn’t until the work experience advert came out that I considered applying to work here. Two years later, here I am.

◆ How do you feel about working at Cruachan?

I feel very proud to be here, especially the fact it’s 60 years old. I’m excited to play a part in Cruachan’s legacy. The upgrade and the introduction of further apprentices will help us to continue this for years to come.

ALISON BOYCE, TECHNICAL SERVICES CO-ORDINATOR

◆ You are currently one of the longest serving staff members at Cruachan. How does that make you feel?

Yes, I’ve been here 37 years. I started as a maternity cover planning assistant. Back then we had electric typewriters, a clicky switch board, telex machine and paper files. I got to know the place and people and it was a great atmosphere, so I stayed.

◆What does the job entail?

Everything from office management, facilities, training for staff, to procurement for the 60th anniversary. There’s never a dull day.

◆ Did you grow up locally and ever imagine you’d work here?

I grew up in Taynuilt, about six miles from Cruachan, and remember coming here when I was about seven with my grandad. In the viewing gallery he lifted me up – there weren’t fancy barriers then – and I remember thinking he was going to drop me! There’s an affection for Cruachan in the community. We call it ‘the jewel in the crown’.

◆Why would a young person want to work here?

It’s a fabulous opportunity and potentially a job for life. Cruachan is an iconic part of the landscape and community, and I hope it will be here for many decades to come.

SARAH CAMERON, COMMUNITY MANAGER, CRUACHAN POWER STATION

◆What’s your job here?

As Community Manager I am responsible for delivering our educational and community outreach programme. Anything from supporting the unique needs of our community to delivering STEM activity in schools and overseeing the visitor centre and café here at Cruachan, that’s what I do.

◆ How long have you worked here?

I’ve been at Cruachan for 20 years since I first started working in the cafe in 2005. It’s been fantastic. Every day is a new challenge.

◆ Can you tell us a bit about the community programme and the Drax Foundation?

We have an educational outreach programme, and the main part is going to local primary and high schools. We support Oban High School and during Scottish Apprenticeship Week went back with a former student and talked about what careers in STEM can look like and that they’re available in this area at Cruachan.

Drax Foundation is our corporate community investment programme and we support some brilliant local charities and not-for-profit organisations. Some of our partners include the Argyll Countryside Trust, Glasgow Science Centre and ALIenergy where we fund projects such as rainforest restoration, hydropower STEM learning and helping people tackle fuel poverty.

◆What sort of questions do school children ask about the power station?

I’ve had primary pupils ask ‘What do you eat for lunch as an engineer?’ and, ‘How much do you get paid?’, both very important questions. High school students ask ‘what subjects do I need?’, also important because a job in STEM isn’t necessarily all based around maths and physics. People skills and an interest in the environment are important and we have jobs involving ecology and biodiversity, all sorts of careers.

◆ Can you tell us about some of the flora and fauna around Cruachan?

There’s an abundance of wildlife here. You see ospreys, golden and sea eagles and red squirrels appearing on our bird feeders on the cafe patio, so people can sit, have a cup of tea, one of the best scones in Scotland and watch. We’ve been lucky that pine martens have chosen Cruachan as their home in the past, and there are otters in the loch.

drax.com/Cruachan60