The pumped storage hydro facility officially opened on 3 April 1975 and turns fifty this week
SSE’s Foyers Power Station at Loch Ness is celebrating its 50th anniversary this week.
Construction of the pumped storage hydro facility started in 1969 and it was officially opened by the then Secretary of State for Scotland, Rt. Hon. William Ross, on 3 April 1975.
It remains an important operational asset in SSE’s hydro fleet and continues to help power homes and businesses across Scotland to this day.
Located on the shores of Loch Ness, the 300MW Foyers pumped storage hydro facility can generate electricity in just 30 seconds. During operation, water travels through two miles of tunnels and shafts from Loch Mhor.
A celebratory event with current and former Foyers employees has been planned for early next month, to mark the anniversary.
Robert Bryce, Director of Hydro – SSE Renewables, said: “This week we mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of Foyers Power Station, and celebrate its contribution over the past five decades.
“Foyers Power Station has played an important role in the UK’s energy mix since it opened in 1975, and its importance continues to this day.
“As we move to more intermittent forms of energy such as onshore wind, offshore wind, and solar generation, flexible pumped storage hydro facilities such as Foyers help to balance the grid and utilise excess renewable energy in the system.”
Gillian O’Reilly, Head of Heritage – SSE, said: “Foyers Power Station is one of the many fantastic hydro assets we have at SSE, and this week we celebrate 50 years since it was officially opened.
“Early next month, we will have a celebratory event with current and former colleagues from Foyers who will come together and share their stories and memories from the station’s opening in 1975 to its present-day operations.”
About Foyers Power Station
Construction of the new power station began in 1969 and was completed in 1974. In 1973, it was necessary to temporarily lower the water level in Loch Mhor to allow the construction of the upper control works. In doing so, workers discovered a ‘crannog’, or artificial island, which would have been built and inhabited by prehistoric people. The details of this were carefully documented by the engineers before it disappeared from view when the water was returned to its previous level.
Each of Foyers’ two pump-turbines weighs over 900 tonnes. The rotating part of each weighs over 300 tonnes.
Amazingly, Foyers can begin generating electricity from a standing start in under two minutes. Alternatively, the machine sets can be spun in air to act as a ‘spinning reserve’ in which case electricity can be supplied in less than 30 seconds.