Glen Earrach Energy (GEE) unveiled today (17 May) plans to develop the UK’s “most efficient pumped storage hydro (PSH) project” capable of providing 30GWh of clean energy.
The 2GW project, which will be located at Balmacaan Estate, Scotland, near Loch Ness, will require an investment of over £2 billion and generate at least 600 on-site construction jobs in Scotland over six years, as well as many more jobs in the local supply chain.
The announcement comes as GEE has started engaging with local communities, businesses, and government to seek views on how best to integrate the project into the environment and the community.
GEE is working with a consortium of advisors and experts – including AECOM, Alpiq, Frontier Economics, and LCP-Delta – to move the project forward. It recently submitted a scoping request to the Scottish government’s Energy Consents Unit.
The project will take advantage of Loch Ness’ distinctive geography. With a significant height difference of over 480m between the upper and lower reservoirs, it will maximise power generation while minimising its impact on Loch Ness water levels.
This design means that the project will use water “more efficiently than any existing or proposed pumped storage project in the UK”, the firm said.
Commenting on the scheme, GEE director, Roderick MacLeod, said: “Scotland is a leader in wind power, but the wind doesn’t always blow when we need the energy most. That’s when PSH comes in. It is like a giant water battery, storing excess wind power when it’s plentiful and releasing it when the wind dies down.
“International experts have identified Glen Earrach Energy’s pumped storage hydro project as the most efficient in the UK, possibly even Europe. It will be needed to help Britain get to net zero.”
MacLeod also highlighted the need for governmental support for long-duration energy storage projects, much like the Loch Ness PSH discussed here, and welcomed the proposed income floor mechanism.
“Globally, pumped storage has relied on government support. The UK government’s proposed income floor is a step in the right direction, which Glen Earrach Energy supports. We believe the government should prioritise projects proven to be the most efficient, cost effective and sustainable, rather than those with planning. That way they should be self-financing and in theory never have to draw on government support.”
Loch Ness’ geographical qualities attracting PSH developers
GEE’s PSH project is not the only being touted for the area surrounding Loch Ness. In December 2023, Norwegian power company Statkraft agreed to acquire a 450MW pumped storage hydro project being developed near Loch Ness.
As reported on our sister publication Solar Power Portal, Statkraft will secure Loch na Cathrach, formerly known as Red John Pumped Storage Hydro Scheme, from Intelligent Land Investments Group (ILI), a clean energy development company based in Hamilton, Scotland.
The scheme, which is being developed approximately 14km south-west of Inverness, a city located in the Scottish Highlands, was first conceived in 2015 and granted consent by the Scottish government in June 2021.
PSH will be an important technology in achieving net zero, as it can complement intermittent energy generation by releasing power when there is a spike in demand. This is done using reversible turbines to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir, which stores excess power from sources such as wind farms when supply outstrips demand.
These same turbines are then reversed to bring the stored water back through the plant to generate power when the country needs it.
