A massive 600MW hydro power scheme in the Highlands has been given the green light by the Scottish Government.
Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) has been granted planning permission for a 600MW pumped storage hydro electric scheme to the north-west of Loch Lochy in the Great Glen, near Lochaber.
The energy giant says the Coire Glas scheme, which is estimated to require around £800 million investment, is the first new large-scale pumped storage scheme to be developed in Great Britain for more than 30 years.
It will provide electricity to the grid during peak demand and have the ability to switch off at times when demand is lower. SSE says it will help balance the flow of electricity to the National Grid.
The scheme will take five years to build, supporting around 400 jobs during peak construction.
“Pump storage hydro electric schemes are an excellent means of energy storage and already play an important role in meeting customer’s peak demand for electricity in the UK. They also naturally complement variable output from other renewable sources such as wind,” said SSE Renewables managing director Jim Smith.
SSE today welcomed the government’s decision to give the scheme the go ahead but said any final investment decision was unlikely before 2015 because the scheme will need to overcome a number of commercial and regulatory challenges.
The company said the government needed to provide certainty that there would be a revenue stream from the scheme – at present no subsidy support is given to pumped storage hydro electric schemes.
“SSE is now keen to engage further with both the UK and Scottish governments, as well as other relevant organisations, to develop an appropriate solution to the commercial challenges that could enable what would be an important asset for the UK energy system to progress,” added Mr Smith.
See how the project will work in our video below
Energy minister Fergus Ewing said the scheme would be the most powerful of its kind in Scotland producing up to 10% of the country’s peak electricity demand.
“A development like this offers a fantastic boost to the ambitions of the Scottish Government to increase the proportion of electricity generated using renewable resources because it helps deal with the variability of renewables,” said Mr Ewing.
“When the wind blows, excess energy can be used to pump water up into the vast store, and when the wind yield is low the station can be brought on line to provide the electricity needed.”
Scottish Renewables senior policy manager Joss Blamire said: “This hydro scheme will act like a battery storing electricity for when it’s needed most.”
Read more about the Coire Glas scheme and its impact for the Highlands in tomorrow’s Press and Journal
