SSE has formed a joint venture with Gilkes Energy to push development of the Loch Fearna pumped storage hydropower scheme in Scotland’s Great Glen.
The Fearna Pumped Storage Hydro project, which SSE is co-developing the project alongside a consortium led by Gilkes Energy, will be located at the western end of Glengarry around 25km west of Invergarry.
The development plan includes tunnels and a new power station connecting SSE Renewables’ existing reservoir at Loch Quoich with an upper reservoir at Loch Fearna.
The proposed development would have up to 1.8GW in generating capacity and be capable of producing around 37GWh of stored energy capacity.
The project has already secured a grid connection offer totalling 1.795GW.
A request for a scoping opinion for the project is currently before Scottish Government ministers and consultation has already commenced with consulting local communities and organisations.
It is expected a planning consent application would be submitted to Scottish Government ministers in due course, and if consented for development, Fearna could be one of the largest pumped storage hydro projects in the UK.
The project could reach commercial operations in the mid-2030s, subject to reaching a final investment decision.
Expanding hydropower capacity
Trade bodies had previously called on the Conservative Government to back pumped hydro, among other long-term energy storage systems.
Scottish Renewables and the British Hydropower Association said that the technology could help deliver cost savings of up to £680 million per year by 2050.
The Loch Fearna hydropower is among 6.85GW of pumped projects currently in development across the UK. These include SSE’s Coire Glas, Drax Group’s Cruachan 2 expansion and the Balmacaan Estate’s Glen Earrach project.
The projects would help end a 40-year period where no new pumped storage capacity has been added.
Pumped hydro
Head of investment management for hydro at SSE Renewables Ross Turbet said: “As the UK transitions to net zero, the development of additional pumped storage hydro projects will be crucial for energy security and for balancing an increasingly renewables-led energy system during periods when the wind doesn’t blow, and the sun doesn’t shine.
“The proposed Fearna project is a welcome addition to our development pipeline of pumped storage hydro projects, which also includes our proposal to develop what could be one of Britain’s biggest pumped storage schemes in 40 years at Coire Glas and our intention to convert our existing Sloy Power Station into a pumped storage facility.
“Our vision for the delivery of pumped energy storage solutions for a net zero Britain demonstrates SSE Renewables’ ongoing commitment to optimising the value of our existing hydro assets while investing in new hydro projects as part of our wider renewable portfolio.”
Gilkes Energy managing director Carl Crompton added: “We are delighted to launch, in partnership with SSE Renewables, the Fearna Pumped Storage project.
“Energy storage allows energy produced during times of excess generation (mainly wind) to be stored and released later when there is a deficit of renewable energy. Pumped storage hydro projects are in effect very large water batteries and the technology behind these projects is very mature and robust. PSH projects can easily last for 100+ years with no degradation in performance.
“The recent publication of the Government Consultation on Long Duration Electricity Storage (LDES) support, likely to be a ‘Cap & Floor’ mechanism, is also a significant step forward. This consultation recognises both the value of pumped storage hydro, but also the challenge of financing such capital intensive and long lead time projects.
“The proposed Cap & Floor mechanism has been used successfully to bring multiple interconnector projects to fruition, and we hope a similar mechanism will unlock the financing of a number of PSH projects. We look forward to bringing this pioneering project to fruition.”
