By rosebell
In order to advancing the pumped storage hydropower scheme at Loch Fearna in Scotland’s Great Glen, SSE and Gilkes Energy have been collaborated.
Being located at almost 25km west of Invergarry, a site at the western end of Glengarry was built accoring to the propose of the joint venture, that leds by Gilkes Energy, whereas this site is adjacent to SSE Renewables’ existing Loch Quoich reservoir in the Great Glen hydro scheme.
Construction of tunnels and a new power station linking the Loch Quoich reservoir with an upper reservoir at Loch Fearna, will be the contents of Fearna Pumped Storage Hydro project.
Considering that this project’s generating capacity is up to 1.8GW and it is capable of producing about 37GWh of stored energy capacity, it could be one of the UK’s largest pumped storage hydro projects. The project has already secured a grid connection offer totalling 1,795MW.
According to Ross Turbet, SSE Renewables’ head of investment management for hydro: “The development of additional pumped storage hydro projects was crucial for energy security and for balancing an increasingly renewables-led energy system. 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.”
Due to being placed at a high head with an average of 376m, along with short tunnels approximately 1km long connecting the two water bodies, the Fearna site’s mountainous location is particularly suited to a pumped hydro storage project.
Operating the largest fleet of hydro-electric power and pumped storage hydro assets in Scotland, SSE Renewables is advancing development plans for new pumped storage hydropower projects in the Highlands.
