SSE Renewables has chosen Fugro to undertake ground investigation for its Coire Glas hydro pumped storage scheme located in the Great Glen in Scotland. Coire Glas has a potential capacity of up to 1500MW and is the first large-scale pumped storage scheme to be developed in the UK for more than 40 years.
Fugro's ground investigation services will help in understanding the current site conditions and assessing potential ground risks associated with future developmental phases of the scheme. The extensive site characterisation will take place between Loch Lochy, the large lower reservoir, and the new upper reservoir site, approximately 500m above in Coire Glas.
Matthew Chappell, Fugro’s Service Line Director of Site Investigation UK, said: "As pumped hydro storage will play a crucial role in the decarbonisation of the UK's electricity supply, we are committed to collaborating with SSE Renewables to deliver our bespoke data acquisition solution to ensure the safe engineering of this critical asset."
Fugro's site characterization will include deep rotary cored holes, specialist in situ testing, surface and wireline geophysics, as well as advanced laboratory testing on rock samples. Fugro will use specialized all-terrain vehicles and helicopters to access the site and transport equipment due to the remote location, high elevation, and challenging weather conditions.
Once testing is complete, Fugro will deliver a comprehensive factual report on ground and ground water conditions, allowing SSE Renewables to refine the proposed project designs. All geotechnical data will be managed through Fugro's cloud-based Geo-data engagement platform, VirGeo, providing near real-time deliverables to SSE Renewables and its consulting engineers to facilitate faster decision-making and accelerate timelines on critical milestones.
