Progress for the first UK, large-scale, pumped storage scheme

Following the 2020 Scottish Renewables Energy Festival which celebrated the projects, people, and places leading the shift to cleaner energy and a more sustainable future, we’re pleased to see SLR’s ongoing project with SSE Renewables at the Coire Glas Hydro Pump Storage Scheme is progressing.

Situated near Loch Lochy, in the Scottish Highlands, Coire Glas is the first large scale pumped storage scheme to be developed in the UK for more than 30 years; it has a potential capacity of 1500MW. To date, several SLR teams have supported the Environmental Impact Assessment which accompanied the planning application for the project. SLR offered services including environmental hydrology, peat probing, peat management plans, peat landslide hazard risk assessment, geology (including borrow pit designs) and air quality (dust) consultancy.

The planning application was granted consent by the Scottish Government on 16th October 2020 and marks another step towards Scotland and the UK delivering their net-zero ambitions.

The SLR project team includes Gordon Robb (Hydrology), Adan Cowe (Hydrology), Colin Duncan (Geology), David Nisbet (Geology) and Rachel McHale (Air Quality), with our work on the project being sub-contracted through ASH Design & Assessment - who we continue to work closely with on other projects.

For more information on the Coire Glas Hydro Scheme, please visit the SSE Renewables website.