56 DECEMBER 2025 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Geotechnical Data for a Hydroelectric Scheme Adapted from Information by Radar Public Relations Robertson GEO, a company based in North Wales, is in the process of gathering essential geotechnical information for a hydroelectric project. Situated along the shores of Loch Lochy, close to Inverness in Scotland, Coire Glas will mark the UK’s first large-scale hydro storage initiative since the Dinorwig Power Station was built in the 1980s. The Conwy-based expert in borehole geophysical and petrophysical logging technologies was engaged by Strabag UK Ltd to compile an extensive array of geotechnical data for this major development. Led by SSE Renewables, the Coire Glas site is poised to achieve a remarkable capacity of up to 1300 megawatts, capable of supplying electricity to approximately three million homes within minutes. Simon Garantini, Managing Director of Robertson GEO, noted the company, which also operates in the U.S. and Hong Kong, utilized a range of geophysical probes within an exploratory tunnel reaching depths of about 2300 feet underground. He described the endeavor as “challenging,” highlighting the operation employed both innovative equipment and previously untested techniques, including a 6500-foot winch housed within a safety cage. “The exploratory work being undertaken for Coire Glas is among the most extensive ground investigations of its time, collecting and analyzing a huge volume of geotechnical data before construction begins,” said Simon. “The geotechnical data will observe ground conditions to inform on the potential risks and challenges posed to a successful delivery of the project, so this was a hugely important task, pivotal to them moving forward.” The tunnel featured three distinct galleries, each serving as access points for drilling an array of long, nearly horizontal and angled boreholes, as well as shorter boreholes designed for imaging, deformability, and stress assessment. Operations ran around the clock, with two teams of two engineers each rotating through consecutive 12-hour shifts to ensure continuous progress. “Logistics underground could be difficult with equipment needing to be moved around underground whilst many other tasks were occurring simultaneously,” said Simon. “The most challenging aspect of the logging operation was the development and deployment of a push system to place logging tools in horizontal boreholes. The work environment was noisy at times with the inevitable dripping water on sensitive equipment such as laptops, though together we resolved all these issues. “The geophysical logging campaign we undertook formed a vital component of the overall ground investigation, providing high-quality calibrated data, not attainable by other means, at centimeter resolution in the boreholes.” GEOTECH
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