Renewables firm Albion Community Power (ACP) said yesterday it had committed nearly £5million to the development of two new hydropower schemes in the Highlands.
The 500 kilowatt “run-of-river” schemes – Liatre Burn on the Glen Cannich estate and Abhainn Bruachaig, near Kinlochewe – are expected to generate about 2.8 gigawatt-hours of electricity every year, equivalent to the power needs of around 700 homes.
Liatre Burn is located near Loch Mullardoch, about 22 miles south-west of Inverness, while Bruachaig is close to Kinlochewe in Wester Ross.
London-based ACP said construction of both projects was already under way, with completion and commissioning anticipated before the end of the year.
They are among four community-scale Scottish hydro projects currently under development by ACP.
The other two schemes – Chaorach, near Crianlarich, and River Arkaig in Lochaber – are at an advanced stage of construction and expected to be fully commissioned by the end of the third quarter of this year.
ACP is investing £4.8million in Liatre Burn and Abhainn after securing cash from the UK Green Investment Bank (UKGIB), Strathclyde Pension Fund and Greater Manchester Pension Fund
Volker Beckers, ACP chairman, said: “We are delighted to announce two new projects as we continue to invest in small-scale hydropower.
“ACP’s expertise in hydro-power combined and enhanced by local knowledge supports the (UK) Government’s SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) and local business campaign.”
He added: “Hydropower, the oldest renewable technology, has a proven track record of generating strong and stable returns for investors.
“Institutional demand for community-scale renewable-energy continues to grow and ACP is well-placed to benefit from this trend.
“We look forward to working on both schemes, as well as developing a further pipeline of projects.”
Ed Northam, head of investment banking, UKGIB, said: “Community-scale projects improve the efficiency of the network by generating electricity close to where customers need it.
“We believe that decentralised schemes like Liatre Burn and Bruachaig are an important part of the energy mix and have a significant role to play in increasing security of supply, reducing costs and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.”
