Loch Ness pumped hydro scheme...

[dan_b]

... approved by the Scottish Government!

Apparently 450MW power, but I can't find any info about how much actual storage capacity it will have.

https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/civi ... 9-06-2021/


This part of the story worries me though:

The company now needed to work with the UK government to reach a commercial agreement to allow the project to go ahead. "There is currently a pipeline of over 5GW of pumped storage in the UK, but we need to work closely with the UK Government to implement the market mechanisms that are needed to drive investment into these projects to ensure we hit our net-zero targets," he said.

[GarethC]

Presumably they're after a CFD?

[Tinbum]

https://www.redjohnpsh.co.uk/

[CrofterMannie]

This is just a couple of miles over the hill from me.
We are basically waiting to see if the developer is actually a developer or if they are planning to make their money by selling the development before it starts properly (as often happens with Windfarms).

Seems like a sensible project (except for the inappropriate name!) given the amount of wind farms within a few miles - there is more than enough to power both red john and Foyers when they are pumping.

[Tinbum]

The idea was that it was an investment to sell on.

[CrofterMannie]

Word is that the Red John proposal has been bought by the "Norwegian Government" (which I would guess means Equinor).
I would think that if a buyer has been found it means there is a greater chance that this project will actually go ahead.

[Countrypaul]

Looks like a third pumped hydroscheme for Loch ness is being comsidered: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-67875061

[nowty]

Looks like a third pumped hydroscheme for Loch ness is being comsidered: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-67875061

So the first one is Foyers hydro scheme and has been operational since 1974.
300MWp or 305MWp if you include a non pumped bit, I cannot find info on the duration so don't know the capacity.
https://www.sserenewables.com/hydro/foyers/
And SSE were recently naughty boys scamming it.
https://www.energyvoice.com/renewables- ... to-foyers/


The second one is Red John Pumped Storage Hydro Scheme and the project has recently been sold to a Norwegian government owed company called Statkraft.
https://www.statkraft.co.uk/newsroom/20 ... o-project/
https://www.redjohnpsh.co.uk/
450MWp and 2.8GWh so I assume just over 6 hours duration.


The third one is Loch Kemp Storage
600MW for 15hr, so 9GWh storage.
https://lochkempstorage.co.uk/

[AE-NMidlands]

Presumably Statkraft are used to to dealing with a government and regulator who work in the nation's best interests... do they expect that here? All the signs are that the 2 parties conspire to keep the cash rolling in for (Grid) shareholders, witness the prolonged and repeated "consultations" on whether storage should pay grid fees in both directions. It doesn't seem to matter to them that this prevents surplus renewable energy being mopped up and stored for later.
It's why nothing has actually been built here for decades. I believe the charges make lots of (heavily engineered) storage just not financially viable.