Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has visited Drax Group's Cruachan Power Station, near Oban in Argyll, to see how an £80 million programme of upgrades and refurbishment is advancing at the iconic 'Hollow Mountain' site.

Built inside Ben Cruachan, the station was the world's first large-scale reversible pumped storage hydro facility when opened by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1965. It remains crucial in balancing the electricity system by absorbing surplus renewable power when demand is low and releasing it when needed.

During the tour, Mr Swinney went underground to the cavern complex, meeting Drax colleagues who operate and maintain the site and the teams delivering the project to lift Cruachan's generating capacity.

The investment includes refurbishing two of the plant's generating units and replacing all four main inlet water valves. Each valve weighs roughly the same as three double-decker buses and can carry in a single minute enough water to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

First Minister John Swinney said: "Pumped hydro storage is a technology with a long heritage in Scotland, and Cruachan Power Station a powerful example of how we can make our energy system more resilient and flexible for the future.

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"As Scotland transitions to net zero, energy storage solutions like batteries and pumped hydro will be crucial in helping us scale up our renewable generation and ensure stability and security in our electricity supply.

"It was a privilege to be able to see first-hand the progress being delivered to upgrade facilities and meet some of the skilled workers involved in this iconic feat of engineering.

"The work underway at Cruachan demonstrates how Scotland's vast renewable capacity continues to grow – with a strong pipeline of future projects providing well-paid, sustainable jobs and securing lasting benefits for communities."

Steve Scott, Plant Manager at Cruachan Power Station, said: "Cruachan is one of Scotland's great engineering achievements and remains central to the country's clean energy future. As more renewable power comes onto the system, flexible assets like Cruachan will be vital to keeping the grid stable and secure, storing power when there is too much and generating it when homes and businesses need it most.

"It was a pleasure to welcome the First Minister to Cruachan and show first-hand the scale of the work underway, as well as introduce some of the skilled people who keep this remarkable power station operating for Scotland and the wider UK energy system."

Cruachan operates by releasing water from its upper reservoir through turbines into Loch Awe to generate electricity. When there is excess power on the grid, the process reverses, using electricity to pump water back up to the reservoir — effectively acting as a vast water battery.

Drax's footprint in Scotland extends beyond Cruachan. The Group also owns and runs the Lanark and Galloway Hydro Schemes, has acquired Edinburgh-based Flexitricity, added wind and solar assets, and is progressing two battery energy storage system projects — together helping to deliver a cleaner, more secure energy system.