One of Scotland’s oldest hydroelectric power stations has been given a new lease of life following a £2 million refurbishment by Drax, helping preserve the historic facility for future generations. Tongland Power Station, near Kirkcudbright in Scotland, is part of the Galloway Hydro Scheme which was developed in the 1930s.
The power station is one of six hydroelectric facilities within the Galloway Hydro Scheme, a network of dams, reservoirs and power stations stretching across Dumfries and Galloway. Together they have provided renewable electricity to Scotland for generations.
The project saw the power station’s exterior carefully restored using specialist materials designed to protect and preserve the historic building for decades to come. Special measures to protect the power station during the construction work were put in place, with Tongland designated as a Category A listed building by Historic Environment Scotland due to its importance in the development of hydropower and its “finely detailed modernist classical design”.
In addition to the work to the building’s external façade, Drax has revamped the site’s exhibition space within the main station building to enable the power station to once again host school tours. Further work to the building’s internal paint work will be carried out this year.
Ian Kinnaird, Drax’s FlexGen Assets Director, said: “The Galloway Hydro Scheme has been generating flexible, renewable electricity for 90 years, and this major refurbishment means it will continue to do so for many more years to come.
“This was a complex project, with great care taken by Drax and our contracting partners to protect this historic building during the work. Tongland has been part of Scotland’s energy story for almost a century, so everyone involved should feel incredibly proud to see it looking as good as new.”
The completion of Tongland’s external refurbishment is part of a wider investment in Scotland by Drax. The company is currently installing around 1,500 solar panels across its Galloway and Lanark hydro schemes, completing an £80m upgrade of its iconic ‘Hollow Mountain’ Cruachan Power Station, and work will soon start on an upgrade at its Glenlee site.
ENDS
Media contact
Aidan Kerr
E: [email protected]
About Drax
Drax’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. Our strategic aims are to be a UK leader in flexible, renewable generation and a global leader in sustainable biomass pellet production.
Our operations
Drax owns and operates a portfolio of flexible, low-carbon and renewable UK power assets – biomass, hydro, pumped storage and OCGT generation – which provide dispatchable power and system support services to the electricity grid.
We are the UK’s largest source of renewable power by output, and Drax Power Station is the UK’s largest single source of renewable electricity by output.
Through our pellet production facilities in North America, Drax is a leading integrated producer of sustainable biomass.
Drax supplies renewable electricity to UK industrial and commercial customers, offering a range of energy-related services including energy optimisation, as well as electric vehicle strategy and management.
Website: www.drax.com
