The Anonymous Widower

70 Years Of Clean, Renewable Power From Invergarry Power Station

The title of this post, is the same as this news item from SSE.

These four paragraphs introduce the article.

SSE is celebrating 70 years of operation at Invergarry Power Station, a key part of the Great Glen Hydro Scheme and one of the many remarkable projects delivered during the pioneering years of hydro-electric development in the Scottish Highlands.

Officially opened on 5 October 1956, Invergarry was developed during a transformative period when the Highlands became one of the largest construction sites in Europe. Alongside dozens of other hydro projects built by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board, the station helped harness Scotland’s natural resources to deliver clean, reliable electricity while bringing jobs, investment and new opportunities to communities across the region.

Part of the wider Great Glen Hydro Scheme, Invergarry was built as part of a network of hydro-electric stations connected by the Highland Grid transmission system, enabling renewable electricity generated in some of Scotland’s most remote landscapes to be transported to homes, businesses and communities across the north of Scotland.

The development of Scotland’s hydro-electric network remains one of the country’s most significant engineering achievements. Across the wider hydro programme, 54 power stations and 78 dams were constructed, creating an enduring legacy that continues to support Scotland’s energy system today.

Note.

  1. The article is well worth a read.
  2. The Great Glen has its own web site.
  3. I was around in the mid-1950s, when Invergarry and other schemes were built. They got a lot of positive publicity in places like the Meccano Magazine.
  4. A lot of the publicity on energy projects today is negative.

Today, we should celebrate the seventieth birthday of Invergarry hydro-electric station.

 

October 10, 2026 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , | 1 Comment

Chinese Offshore Wind Foundation Manufacturer Inks MoU With Scotland’s Ardersier Port

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

 

This is the sub-heading.

Dajin Heavy Industry and Haventus, the owner and developer of Ardersier Port in Scotland, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore combining Dajin’s manufacturing and transport capability with Ardersier’s port infrastructure to support both fixed-bottom and floating wind projects in the UK and across Europe.

These two paragraphs add more details.

Dajin and Haventus will also work together to identify potential new commercial opportunities and how Ardersier Port could provide a site for storage, marshalling, assembly and transportation of offshore wind components to the offshore wind foundation manufacturer.

According to Haventus, Ardersier Port’s extensive quayside land, deep-water access and a high-voltage power connection can support the manufacturing, fabrication, assembly and storage of large-scale structures for offshore wind and other energy-related projects.

These are my thoughts.

Where Is Ardesier?

This Google Map shows the location of the Port of Ardesier in relation to Inverness, the Orkneys and Shetlands, and Norway.

The Port of Ardesier would appear to be ideally placed to bring in business for the partnership.

This Google Map shows more detail around Haventus – Ardesier Port.

Note.

  1. Haventus appears to be located close to Inverness Airport, which has a railway station on the Inverness and Aberdeen Line.
  2. Inverness is on the Moray Firth.

 

Are Haventus A British Company?

I asked Google AI the question in the title of this section and received this answer.

Yes, Haventus is a British company.

It is registered in the UK with its corporate headquarters in London, and its primary operations focus on redeveloping the Ardersier Port in the Scottish Highlands to support offshore wind energy.

Company Details

Registration: Registered in England and Wales (Haventus Limited).Head Office: London, United Kingdom.

Project: Transforming the former fabrication yard at Ardersier Port near Inverness, Scotland, into an energy transition facility for offshore wind.

Key Backing: Funded by British institutions like the UK Infrastructure Bank and the Scottish National Investment Bank, alongside major private equity investment from US-based Quantum Capital Group.

Could The Port Of Ardersier Have A Rail Connection?

This OpenRailwayMap shows the Port of Ardersier, the Aberdeen and Inverness Line and Inverness Airport.

Note.

  1. The heavy black track is the Aberdeen and Inverness Line.
  2. The Port of Ardersier is above it in the middle of the map.
  3. Inverness Airport is marked by the blue arrow.

There seems to be a lot of space in the area.

Could A Steel Mini-Mill Be Built In The Area?

Consider.

  • Dajin Heavy Industry could need a lot of steel.
  • A steel mini-mill would need a lot of energy.
  • The UK has a lot of scrap steel, that could be of good enough quality to make the steel gubbins needed for offshore wind components.
  • Scrap could be brought in by sea or rail.
  • That part of Scotland has lots of offshore wind power.
  • Three pumped storage hydro systems are being built in the Scottish Highlands to store electricity.
  • Workers could be brought in by train from as far as Aberdeen.

The Port of Ardersier could be an ideal place for a steel mini-mill.

How Many Acres Do You need for a Small Steel From Scrap Mill?

I asked Google AI the question in the title of this section and received this answer.

A small scrap-based steel mini-mill requires roughly 5 to 20 acres of land for basic production, casting, and rolling units.

If you include a dedicated on-site scrap yard and heavy inventory storage buffers, the requirement expands closer to 25 to 50+ acres.

Core Space Breakdown

Melt Shop & Electric Arc Furnace (EAF): 2 to 4 acres for the core melting furnace, ladle metallurgy furnace, and pollution control equipment.

Casting & Rolling Mill: 2 to 5 acres for continuous casting (billets or blooms) and the hot re-rolling lines.

Scrap Yard & Raw Materials: 5 to 20 acres depending on how much local scrap inventory you need to stockpile.

Finished Goods & Logistics: 3 to 10 acres for cooling beds, product staging, truck loading docks, and internal roadways.

From this crude analysis with Google AI, I believe that there is enough space to put a small steel mill in the area.

Ideas Borrowed From Failures During The Years Of North Sea Oil and Gas

I suspect there are a few of these, which might be possible to develop at Ardersier.

Conclusion

The Port of Ardersier has lots of possibilities,

 

 

 

 

 

August 21, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Energy Storage, Manufacturing, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment