Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Scheme

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The Sloy Power Station ( German: Kraftwerk Sloy ) is a hydroelectric power station in the Scottish unitary authority Argyll and Bute. It is located in a sparsely populated, mountainous region in the north of the Cowal peninsula Arrochar Alps on the northwest shore of Loch Lomond. In 1996, the power plant was included in the Scottish lists of monuments in the highest category A. In addition, it forms together with the dam at Loch Sloy a monument ensemble of category A. The nearest major town is about six kilometers to Tarbet.

Reservoir

In the first plan for the use of water power in Scotland, the impoundment of hole Sloy was provided. Developed in the 1940s, the dam was to the point of construction, with a length of 366 m, the longest of its kind in Scotland. In the construction of the 46 m high structure was partially resorted to German prisoners of war of World War II. The damming caused a doubling of the length of the lake, this 50 meters gained in depth. The rain catchment area quadrupled by this measure.

Power station

The Sloy Power Station is located about three miles southeast of the dam on the banks of Loch Lomond. From the dam of several two- meter diameter pressure pipes were driven through the mountain Ben Vorlich, which lies between the two lakes. The architectural design was submitted in 1947 and completed the construction in 1950. In the presence of the Queen Mother the ceremonial opening of the plant took place. In the 1990s, restoration work was carried out with a volume of £ 113 million. Three of the four generators were exchanged and increases its output of 32.5 MW to 40 MW each. The power plant is capable of an output of 152.5 MW to generate, making it the most powerful hydroelectric power plant in the UK. At full capacity, the plant consumes around 4.5 million liters of water per minute. The energy generated is fed via 132 kV lines in the grid. The reopening took over the Scottish Labour Minister Sarah Boyack. Although already considered in the first plans in the 1940s, the planning was taken to an expansion as a pumped storage power plant until the year 2010. It is planned to install a pump power of 60 MW, to transfer water from the Loch Lomond in the Loch Sloy.

View of the power house