The Cruachan scheme demonstrated the feasibility of reversible pumped-storage systems nearly 60 years ago
By Alasdair Macdonald It is a long time since the Cruachan scheme was built which demonstrated the feasibility of such projects at a time when UK Government policy was about oil, gas and nuclear, with some continuing coal use. Such schemes were for ‘remote areas’, like Scotland. The main drawback is higher start up costs – the Cruachan scheme entails hollowing out a mountain. This kind of expenditure is often too much for governments which usually think only in terms of 4/5 year election cycles and, for many investors, this kind of time frame is too long to make a … Continue reading The Cruachan scheme demonstrated the feasibility of reversible pumped-storage systems nearly 60 years ago
