Drax has completed a £2 million refurbishment of Tongland Power Station in south-west Scotland, extending the life of one of the country’s oldest hydroelectric plants.
The station, near Kirkcudbright, is part of the Galloway Hydro Scheme, which includes six hydroelectric power stations. The scheme has operated since the 1930s and remains part of Scotland’s renewable electricity infrastructure.
The work focused on restoring the outside of the building and protecting its historic structure. Tongland is a Category A listed building, so the refurbishment had to preserve its original architectural and engineering features while supporting its continued use as an operational power station. Drax used specialist materials to improve the condition of the building and reduce the risk of further deterioration.
The company has also upgraded the exhibition area inside the station. This will allow school visits and educational tours to restart. Further internal decoration is expected to be completed later this year.
The project shows Drax continuing to invest in existing hydro assets rather than relying only on new developments. Refurbishing established infrastructure can be a lower-risk way to maintain generation capacity, improve reliability and extend asset life.
Tongland forms part of a wider investment programme across Drax’s Scottish hydro portfolio. The company is installing around 1,500 solar panels at sites within the Galloway and Lanark hydro schemes. It is also completing an £80 million upgrade at Cruachan Power Station and preparing further work at Glenlee.
Drax Group plc (LON:DRX), trading as Drax, is a power generation business. The principal downstream enterprises are based in the UK and include Drax Power Limited, which runs the biomass fuelled Drax power station, near Selby in North Yorkshire.
