Coire Glas is the first large scale pumped hydro storage scheme to be developed in the UK for more than 40 years. Located on the shores of Loch Lochy in the Scottish Highlands, the Hydro Scheme when complete has a potential capacity of up to 1,500MW with energy storage of around 30GWh. Once operational, it will double Great Britain’s existing electricity storage capacity.

The remote location of Coire Glas presented major logistical challenges that needed to be overcome before work could begin. Central to this was how raw tunnelling materials would be delivered to the site in a safe and efficient manner, not just for exploratory work, but for the entire duration of the project.

Watch our case study video to find out how our Cemex team overcame the logistical challenges! Click HERE to watch.

Cemex offered its Sprayed Primary Lining Concrete, delivered in Site Silos. Supplying a ready-to-use high performance Concrete in pre-filled silos negated the need to erect a Concrete batching plant on-site, meaning all the difficulties associated with sourcing and storing constituent raw materials at the project’s extreme location could be avoided. Cemex’s solution has been used for many years in London’s underground infrastructure. The long distances involved between Cemex’s plant and the project site meant overnight stays were required for the delivery vehicles and their drivers. Furthermore, the rural roads and bridges en-route to the site needed to be modified in various places to allow the 40 tonne articulated tankers to safely pass. The Coire Glas site runs 24/7 and with this in mind, Cemex provided 6 x 40 tonne silos, each equipped with state-of-the-art Gigamixers.

With round-the-clock access to Cemex’s solution, the first phase of the Coire Glas construction project has been able to proceed on schedule and on budget.

Strabag UK have been delighted with the performance of the product and commented: “Cemex’s solution has proved highly reliable throughout the project duration, delivering a high-quality product whenever required,” said Dave Ewart, Site Manager. “Working at such a remote location, reliability is incredibly important, with any issues potentially causing lengthy delays to construction works. Cemex’s multi-silo setup, combined with regular deliveries and on-site support, has kept the project moving forward as planned, in both a safe and controlled manner, which is exactly what we were looking for.”