Refurbishment of Historic Hydro Power Station
A hydro power station located in southern Scotland, which has been operational for over 90 years, has undergone a £2 million refurbishment and now appears "as good as new."
The art deco industrial building at Tongland, near Kirkcudbright, is a component of the broader Galloway Hydro Scheme that was developed during the 1930s.
The exterior of this category A-listed structure has been meticulously restored using specialist materials intended to preserve the building for "decades to come."
Operators Drax highlighted that special precautions were implemented during the refurbishment due to the building's "finely detailed modernist classical design."
Statements from Drax and Project Details
Ian Kinnaird, FlexGen assets director at Drax, stated:
"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 the external refurbishment at Tongland is part of a larger investment initiative by Drax, which also includes the installation of approximately 1,500 solar panels across its Galloway and Lanark hydro schemes.
Overview of the Galloway Hydro Scheme
The Galloway scheme, inaugurated in 1935, consists of six power stations: Drumjohn, Kendoon, Carsfad, Earlstoun, Glenlee, and Tongland, spanning from north of Carsphairn to near Kirkcudbright.
Drax acquired the Galloway scheme along with the Lanark scheme in 2018. Together, these facilities generate sufficient energy to power hundreds of thousands of homes.
During the peak of its construction, the Galloway scheme employed over 1,500 people in south-west Scotland.
Notably, the development of the scheme involved relocating a castle, which was dismantled stone by stone, to prevent it from being submerged due to rising water levels.
- The hydro energy scheme that moved a castle
- Solar panels fitted at historic hydro power station
