Critical Recovery Works at Cruachan Power Station
Our EDS dive team recently tackled a technically demanding project at the iconic Cruachan Power Station in Scotland.
Working inside the tunnels of the “Hollow Mountain”, our team was tasked with recovering a damaged valve intake component that had come loose within the intake system. The part needed to be carefully located and recovered from a confined tunnel environment so that a replacement could be installed and the system returned to full operational readiness.
Access for the dive operation required a combination of confined space entry and rope access techniques before the underwater works could even begin. It’s not every day a project calls for that level of integration – but it’s exactly where experience counts.
The operation was led on site by Steve Hall, Diving Supervisor, with full planning and execution overseen by Ed Smart, Diving Projects Manager. As with all EDS diving projects, our project managers are qualified divers themselves, bringing hands-on operational understanding directly into the planning phase. We believe that alignment between strategy and delivery ensures safer, more efficient outcomes in challenging environments.
Recovering the damaged intake component means the client can proceed with refitting works without extended disruption, a timely intervention in a critical piece of infrastructure.
We look forward to returning to the station for future maintenance activity as part of our ongoing working relationship.
This project nicely coincides with EDS becoming an Associate Member of the British Hydropower Association.
The BHA represents the UK hydropower sector, championing technologies that have formed the backbone of stable, low-carbon electricity generation for more than a century.
Membership strengthens our connection to the wider hydropower community – keeping us aligned with industry developments, expanding our scope across power stations and reservoirs, and allowing us to actively contribute our specialist marine and subsea expertise to the sector’s continued growth.
Hydropower remains a proven, long-life technology delivering resilience and energy security to the UK grid. We’re proud to play our part in supporting the infrastructure behind it.
