July 23 2024

The Highlands will receive a new pumped storage hydro project in a joint venture between SSE and Gilkes Energy at Loch Fearna, at the western end of Glengarry.

A network of tunnels will connect the existing reservoir at Loch Quoich in the Great Glen with the new upper reservoir, fueling up to 1.8GW of generating capacity and approximately 37GWh of stored energy capacity.

Ross Turbet, head of investment management for Hydro, SSE Renewables, commented: “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."

A planning application is expected later this year and the plant could be operational by the mid 2030's. 

5 Comments

#1 Posted by Heidfirst on 23 Jul 2024 at 10:13 AM

This will have scenic & ecological impacts on a pretty lochan & block a commonly used route for walkers to access Munros.
Afaik Gilkes actually have no experience of pumped storage but some of their run of river hydro developments have had issues.
The Royal Society doesn't think that pumped storage is particularly appropriate for our future energy storage needs https://royalsociety.org/news-resources/projects/low-carbon-energy-programme/large-scale-electricity-storage/

#2 Posted by Sir Ano on 23 Jul 2024 at 11:23 AM

No.1 can you expand on your last statement? In my opinion that isn't what the royal society says. If anything it notes its an important part of the journey towards net zero.

#3 Posted by Heidfirst on 24 Jul 2024 at 08:44 AM

no.2 from their report "While additional pumped hydro storage
capacity will be helpful, it is clear that it would
only have a marginal impact on GB’s need
for tens of TWh of large-scale storage to
complement high levels of wind and solar"
Part of the proposal is to also dam Coire Dubh, so more visual impact, more ecological impact & considerable embodied carbon.

#4 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 25 Jul 2024 at 12:50 PM

Very hard nosed scheme -- and all the better for it as it shows the compromises that will have to be made to make the transition to a near zero carbon grid.

Usual gum bumpers will be active demanding a perfect solution but we have run out of magic wands and we need to get a move on.

Regarding the RS report -- the wrong end of the stick is being grasped both by the authors and the reader.

Pumped storage is needed -- and will always be needed / the battery alternative is very new resource intensive -- for grid resilience and network flexibility not longer term energy storage.

Longer term storage -- green hydrogen will be a great place to start. The return of the old school cylindrical gas holder to the urban landscape which might help get traditionalists onboard with the transition.

#5 Posted by Jake Janobs on 26 Jul 2024 at 13:29 PM

For once I agree with #4 (except perhaps on hydrogen viability). If we all want to continue living the energy intensive lifestyles we seem to favour, and show no signs of wanting to relinquish, then compromises are required and we need to be able to live with the consequences - be it seagulls getting gubbed by wind turbines, hydro developments in the hills or fields of solar panels. Doing nothing and letting climate change take its course will result in far more catastrophic impacts on all fronts, so let's suck it up and get it done. Anyway, nobody really minds the established hydro facilities from the 50s and 60s onwards, including frequent munro botherers like me.

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