Extreme E, the all-electric off-road racing series, is gearing up for its next race at an abandoned open-pit coal mine in Scotland. The Hydro X Prix, as the race is dubbed, will take place at the former Glenmuckloch opencast coal mine site in Dumfries and Galloway from May 13-14, 2023. The site is being transformed into a bastion of renewable energy, serving as the home of a Pump Storage Hydropower plant, which will provide a fully renewable energy source for the region for centuries to come.
Alejandro Agag, the founder and CEO of Extreme E, expressed excitement about the event, saying, “Here in Scotland, our race site will play homage to the much-needed transition of an old coal mine which is being given a new and exciting lease of life as a hydro-project.” He added that the site “will tell a poignant story about transition and the changing of courses that the energy industry and communities must all take if we are to succeed in the fight against climate change.”
The Hydro X Prix is part of the third season of Extreme E, which features teams of two drivers (one man and one woman) racing the Odyssey 21, an all-electric SUV with a peak output of 536 hp (400 kW/544 PS). The racecourse promises to be one of the most dramatic and extreme seen in Extreme E’s global journey, as it takes place in a flooded mine that was once a symbol of the coal industry’s reliance on fossil fuels.
The mine will act as a battery for a wind project being built in conjunction with it. When wind turbines produce excess power, it will go towards pumping water into the mine. The water is then kept there until it is needed, at which time it is fed through two 105 MW reversible hydro-turbines that together create enough electricity to power approximately 420,000 homes for up to eight hours.
The Hydro X Prix represents a significant step forward in the transition towards a sustainable energy future. By repurposing a coal mine and transforming it into a renewable energy source, Extreme E is demonstrating that even the most polluting industries can be transformed into a force for good. As Alejandro Agag put it, “this site will provide not only one of the most dramatic and extreme racecourses, but it will also tell a powerful story about the importance of transition and the need for us all to embrace a more sustainable future.”
