SSE has announced a new venture to develop a pumped storage hydropower scheme at Loch Fearna in Scotland‘s Great Glen.
The project is a 50:50 joint venture with a consortium led by Gilkes Energy.
The proposed scheme aims to utilise the natural landscape of Loch Fearna to create a pumped storage facility.
This type of facility is designed to store energy by using surplus power to pump water to a higher elevation during periods of low demand.
During peak demand, the stored water is released to generate electricity.
Ross Turbet, Head of Investment Management for Hydro, SSE Renewables, said: “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.”
