The Anonymous Widower

Red John Pumped Storage Hydro Project

When I wrote ILI Group To Develop 1.5GW Pumped Storage Hydro Project, I noticed that they were also developing a scheme called Red John near Inverness.

The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Power Technology.

I have also found a web site for the project, which is part of the ILI Group web site.

• The scheme has an output of 450 MW.
• The storage capacity is 2,800 MWh or 2.8 GWh.
• The scheme has planning consent.
• The project is budgeted to cost £550 million.
• The construction program indicates that the scheme will be completed by the end of 2025.

This paragraph from this article on Water Power and Dam Construction, describes the head and tail ponds.

The Red John project will be located on the eastern shore of the north end of Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland. Loch Ness is to be the tail pond for the project, with the head pond to be newly constructed. It will use the natural topography between Loch Duntelchaig, Loch Ashie and Loch na Curra and Lochan an Eoin Ruadha, from where the development gets its Red John name.

This Google Map shows the area.

Note.

1. Loch Ness is in the West.
2. Loch Ashie is in the North.
3. Loch Duntelchaig is in the East.

This second Google Map shows the area between Lochs Ness, Duntelchaig and Ashie in more detail.

Loch na Curra and Lochan an Eoin Ruadha are now named and can be picked out in the previous map.

It looks like there will be a lot of heavy construction works to create the head pond.

Conclusion

This scheme has the output of a large gas-fired power station for just over six hours.

The finances must add up, as no-one would back a scheme like this if they didn’t get an adequate return on their money.

February 10, 2022 - Posted by AnonW | Energy, Energy Storage | ILI Group, Loch Ness, Pumped Storage Hydroelectricity, Red John Pumped Hydro, Scotland