Engie's First Hydro to upgrade Welsh hydropower plant

GE Vernova

28/07/2026 10:49

LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) - Engie's First Hydro Company will upgrade its more than 40-year old Dinorwig pumped hydropower storage plant in Wales, with GE Vernova GEV.N supplying new units, the companies said on Tuesday.
Dinorwig can deliver up to 1,320 megawatts of electricity within 12 seconds from standby and up to 1,800 MW in under a minute, providing capacity equivalent to powering around one million UK homes, First Hydro Company said.
Pumped storage hydropower is a large-scale energy storage system. During periods of low electricity demand, or if there is excess power form renewables on the grid, water is pumped from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir.
When electricity demand is high, water is released from the upper reservoir down through turbines which generate electricity.
First Hydro Company is a joint venture 75% owned by France’s Engie and 25% by La Caisse.
GE Vernova has been chosen to replace two 315 MW units as part of a broader overhaul covering all six generating units at the more-than-40-year-old plant.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
The overall modernisation programme is expected to extend the plant's operational life by at least 25 years.

 (Reporting by Susanna Twidale, Editing by Louise Heavens)
 ((susanna.twidale@thomsonreuters.com; +44 207 5424753;))