After an aborted attempt to race in Scotland in 2022, the Extreme E Series announced the location of the Hydro X Prix, which will be held as Rounds 3 and 4 of the schedule. The races will be held in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland in Glenmuckloch, a former opencast coal mine site.
The all-electric, off-road rally series hosts races in areas threatened by climate change and with the addition of Glenmuckloch to the calendar, there will be a twist. The former coal mine site is scheduled to undergo a major transformation into a Pumped Storage Hydropower plant and wind farm. As such, it is an ideal place to showcase the needed transformation from fossil fuels to renewable energy and showcase the role water can play in healthy conservation.
“Extreme E uses its racing platform to tell inspirational stories of global locations on the forefront of climate issues,” said Alejandro Agag, founder and CEO of Extreme E in a press release. “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 which will provide a fully renewable energy source for the region for centuries to come.
“Not only will this site provide one of the most dramatic and extreme racecourses we have seen in our global journey, it 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 course will feature stages on flat grass sections and a dive down into the quarry.
“It is brilliant that we will be returning to the UK for Extreme E Season 3 and we are really looking forward to the next round of the championship in Scotland,” said Jenson Button, owner of the JBXE team. “There is such a passion for motorsport in the UK, and it is great that the series is returning to its roots once again.
“I’ve been lucky enough to race on UK soil many times throughout my career and those memories will always be incredibly special to me, while the last time the series raced in the UK JBXE were able to pick up a podium – and so we will be aiming for similar at the Hydro X Prix.”
The Pump Storage Hydropower plant will deliver up to 210 Megawatts (MW) per hour and each MW is the average power requirement for 2,000 homes for an hour.
Extreme E 2023 schedule
February 19-20: Saudi Arabia (winners Round 1, Veloce Racing; Round 2, Acciona/Sainz XE Team)
May 13-14: Scotland
July 8-9: Italy
September 16-17: Brazil or USA
December 2-3: Chile