The Garlogie hydro-electric power station, located on the site of the former Garlogie Woollen Mill, was installed in 1923, but ceased producing electricity five decades ago.

It was the subject of a feasibility study undertaken by Aberdeenshire Council. The potential for reinstating the station was investigated and Inspectahire was contacted to undertake inspection work.

The scope of work was to inspect much of the support infrastructure to identify the condition of the asset.

The power station is fed from the nearby Loch of Skene via a weir and dam which were built when the hydro scheme was installed. Water is then released back into a nearby burn.

Using a range of visual inspection technology, including waterproof CCTVs and tractors, Inspectahire examined cast ducts and tunnels without having to expose personnel to confined spaces. 

Inspectahire's investigations provided video evidence and a wide range of data needed by the council, and established that the infrastructure was in a great condition considering it has not operated since the 1960s.

The small, rugged four or six wheeled tractor is fitted with zoom, pan and tilt cameras and is small enough to fit into pipes. Some are designed to be explosion-proof which allows them to undertake inspections in hazardous areas. They are a versatile inspection solution.

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.

This refurbishment allows infrastructure from the past to be used as a means to power the future, and there are many other similar schemes throughout the country that could potentially be reinstated to generate electricity.