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Hydro power station support infrastructure inspection

Our Success Story

The hydro power station at Garlogie – was recently the subject of a feasibility study, Inspectahire was approached by Aberdeenshire Council to inspect and identify the condition of the asset for the potential for reinstating the station to generate electricity..

CHALLENGE Challenge

Between the 1930’s and 1950’s there was a concerted effort throughout Scotland to develop hydro power stations to produce electricity to meet the increasing demands of consumers.

This method of generating power was not new; it had been used on a small scale for decades before. An example of this is at Garlogie, nine miles West of Aberdeen, where water had been used to generate power and latterly electricity.

The hydro power station at Garlogie – on the site of a former woollen mill – was recently the subject of a feasibility study which was undertaken by Aberdeenshire Council. It investigated the potential for reinstating the station to once again generate electricity and we were contacted to undertake inspection work.

The power station was installed in 1923 following the closure of the woollen mill at the turn of the 20th century, but last produced electricity five decades ago.

SOLUTION Solution

Using a range of visual inspection technology, including waterproof CCTVs and Pipeline tractors, a team from Inspectahire were able to examine the cast ducts and tunnels without having to expose personnel to the risks associated with confined space entry.

The Pipeline tractor is one of a number of such devices, designed with interchangeable rugged four or six wheeled tyres fitted with zoom, pan and tilt cameras and is configurable to fit into various pipes diameters. In addition to being waterproof, some are designed as explosion proof which allows them to undertake inspections in hazardous areas such as hydrocarbon and gas carrying installations. They are a versatile inspection solution.

The equipment allows us to provide video evidence of what we discovered and explore places which the eye cannot see.

RESULT Result

Our investigations provided a wide range of data which the council needed, and established that the infrastructure is in a great condition considering it has not operated since the 1960’s. There was no evidence of infestation by plants and in fact some interesting footage of wildlife inhabiting this environment was obtained.

Estimates suggest that the power station will potentially generate between 50 and 100 kW of ‘green’ electricity and Aberdeenshire Council hope that the Garlogie project could be the first of many in the area.

Contact our technical experts for all inquiries

Our teams are here to help and ready to provide friendly advice on all aspects of inspection projects

Equipment Used

  • pearpoint-p448-ex-tractor-side-w480h315

    Pearpoint P448 EX Tractor

    The speed and stamina of the P448 Explosion Proof Tractor means more inspection metreage per day. Carrying Pearpoint cameras further and faster the rugged P448 tractor is fully steerable and can operate in pipes ranging from 457 mm (18”) in diameter and up.

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  • videoray-pro4-w480h315

    VideoRay Pro 4

    The VideoRay Pro 4 is the culmination of more than a decade of ROV design and development. Building on from the success of the VideoRay Pro 3 model, the Pro 4 incorporates the latest in small ROV design and technology making it the most advanced, capable, and versatile small ROV on the market today.

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