The Neighbourhood Leading A Green Energy Revolution
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
These are the first two paragraphs.
An ambitious target of using hydrogen to partly power homes in the UK within three years has been set by the National Grid, the BBC has learned. On the east coast of Scotland, a small neighbourhood is playing a key role in this energy revolution.
From next year, about 300 homes in Buckhaven, and Methil, in the area of Levenmouth, will be powered by green hydrogen gas in a project called H100. Customers will be offered free hydrogen-ready boilers and cookers in the scheme, which will initially last five and a half years.
I described the H100 Project in ‘World First’: SGN Launches Bid For 300 Green Hydrogen Homes Project In Fife.
This is the home page of the H100 Fife project web site.
This Google Map shows part of Buckhaven.
Note the wind turbine, that will produce the hydrogen is in the South-East corner of the map.
New HS2 Pilot Project Swaps Steel For Retired Wind Turbine Blades To Reinforce Concrete
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from High Speed Two.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Worn-out wind turbine blades destined for the incinerator will instead be used to create carbon-friendly reinforced concrete on Britain’s new high speed rail network, HS2 Ltd has said today (12.03.21).
The innovative project will swap steel rebar, traditionally used to reinforce concrete, with sections of glass fibre reinforced polymer turbine blades that have reached the end of their operational lives generating low carbon electricity.
By 2023, around 15,000 turbine blades will have been decommissioned across the UK and EU. Until now, expired blades have either been ground down to be used as building materials or sent to energy-from-waste incinerators.
Replacing reinforcing steel with sections of retired wind turbine blades is claimed to cut up to 90 % of the carbon generated by steel reinforcement.
It would appear to me, that this is a worthwhile process.
- In 2018, 295,000 metric tons of steel reinforcing bars were produced in the UK.
- Retired blades don’t end up in landfill or incinerators.
- Could we export them as eco-friendly reinforcing bars, to countries with smaller wind industries.
As we have more wind farms, than most other countries, we will probably have more blades to recycle, so perhaps we should research other secondary uses for these blades.
Highland Council Forges Green Hydrogen Pact
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on renews.biz.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Getech subsidiary H2 Green has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Highland Council in Scotland aimed at creating a regional network of green hydrogen hubs across the Scottish Highlands.
Under the terms of the MoU, H2 Green and the Highland Council will produce a regional plan to develop a network of green hydrogen hubs at optimal locations across the region.
The first hub appears to be in Inverness, as I wrote in Hydrogen Hub Plan Will Cut Transport Sector Emissions In The Highlands.
But that is only the start.
- Green hydrogen will be used in transport in the Highlands.
- By-products like oxygen and heat will be distributed.
- Delivery of Highland decarbonisation will be planned.
- SGN Commercial Services will service large-volume customers.
- Agreements are in place for Eversholt Rail to deploy their hydrogen-powered trains on the Far North and West Highland Lines of Scotland.
This statement from Jonathan Copus of Getech, sums up the objectives of the hydrogen project.
These activities combined with the Highland Council initiative are set to establish the Highlands as the leading UK-centre for decarbonisation and innovation; they will also support job creation, deliver energy security and provide a sustainable path for the region’s net zero transition.
I believe that a similar approach could be taken in other parts of the UK. Cornwall, East Anglia, Lincolnshire, much of Wales and the Borderlands between England and Scotland come to mind.
Each region will probably, decarbonise slightly differently and each will develop more and more innovative ways to use the hydrogen.
Conclusion
Hydrogen will play a large part in the decarbonisation of the UK.
Plan For New Nuclear Reactors At Wylfa And Trawsfynydd A Step Closer As Natural Resource Wales Looks At Designs
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on nation.cymru.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Plans for new nuclear power stations at Trawsfynydd and Wylfa have taken a step closer after the UK Government asked government regulators to assess designs for the reactors.
Natural Resources Wales will be among those assessing the designs by Rolls-Royce, with both Wylfa and Trawsfynydd have been named as potential sites for housing them within the UK.
These are points about the reactors.
- They will cost £1.8 billion each.
- They are capable of powering a city the size of Cardiff, which has a population of about half-a-million.
- I’ve read elsewhere that the reactors are planned to have a nameplate capacity of 470 MW.
The article did mention, that the Nimbys were lining up.
The Wylfa Site
The original Wylfa power station was a Magnox nuclear station generating 980 MW, that was decommissioned in 2015.
This Google Map shows the location of the site on Anglesey.
This second Google Map shows the site in more detail.
The power station doesn’t appear to have had a rail link, but there is a railway line a few miles away, with sidings that might have been used to handle fuel flasks.
There has been a proposal for a hybrid plant consisting of a wind farm and small modular nuclear reactors, which is described in this Wikipedia section, where this is said.
In January 2021, Shearwater Energy presented plans for a hybrid plant, to consist of a wind farm and small modular reactors (SMRs), to be installed adjacent to the existing Wylfa power station but separate from the proposed Wylfa Newydd site. Shearwater has signed a memorandum of understanding with NuScale Power for the SMRs. The plant could start generation as early as 2027 and would ultimately produce up to 3 GW of electricity and power a hydrogen generation unit producing up to 3 million kg of hydrogen per year.
Note.
- Wylfa Newydd was a proposal by Hitachi to build a nuclear station on the site.
- Shearwater Energy is a UK developer of energy opportunities.
- NuScale Power is an American company with its own design of small modular nuclear reactor.
In Holyhead Hydrogen Hub Planned For Wales, I talked about hydrogen and the port of Holyhead.
The Trawsfynydd Site
The original Trawsfynydd power station was a Magnox nuclear station generating 470 MW, that was decommissioned in 1991.
This Google Map shows the location of the site in North Wales.
This second Google Map shows the site in more detail.
Note.
- The power station was built on the Northern shore of Llyn Trawsfynydd.
- Llyn Trawsfynydd is a man-made lake, that was built in the 1920s to supply water to the 24 MW Maentwrog hydro electric power station.
- There is a railway from near the site, that connects to the Conwy Valley Line at Blaenau Ffestiniog.
The Trawsfynydd site is a lot more than just a decommissioned Magnox power station.
Pumped Energy Storage In Snowdonia
Currently, there are two existing pumped storage in Snowdonia.
- Dinorwig power station, which is often called Electric Mountain, which has a capacity of 9.1 GWh.
- Ffestiniog power station, which has a capacity of around 1 GWh. If anybody has a better figure let me know!
A third scheme is under development at Glyn Rhonwy, which could have a capacity of 700 MWh.
Looking at the size of Llyn Trawsfynydd, I do wonder, if it could be the top lake of a future pumped storage scheme.
- Llyn Trawsfynydd, contains 40 million tonnes of water.
- There is a head of 190 metres.
That could give energy storage of 20 GWh. That sounds a lot of GWhs! But with two possible small modular nuclear reactors at possibly 500 MW each nearby and some help from windfarms, it could be filled within a day, if there is a suitable low-level reservoir.
Rolls-Royce And The Duisburg Container Terminal
In Rolls-Royce Makes Duisburg Container Terminal Climate Neutral With MTU Hydrogen Technology, I showed how Rolls-Royce and its subsidiary were providing an innovative climate neutral solution for Duisburg Container Terminal in Germany.
A North West Wales Powerhouse
Could Rolls-Royce be planning a Duisburg-style solution for North West Wales.
- Small modular nuclear reactors at Wylfa and Trawsfynydd.
- Hydrogen electrolysers to create hydrogen for the Port of Holyhead and heavy transport.
- Adequate pumped hydro storage for surplus energy.
But there could be little serious above-ground construction.
Conclusion
Something is awakening in North West Wales.
Gelion Claims Zinc-Bromine Gel Batteries Will Replace Lithium-Ion
The title of this post, is the same as that as this article on RideApart.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Battery technologies are evolving at a rapid pace—and for good reasons. With the automotive world moving toward electrification, companies need to find solutions for producing electric vehicles on a massive scale. While lithium-ion battery technology rules the roost today, that isn’t stopping firms from developing the next big leap forward.
From solid-state power units to structural batteries to sci-fi-worthy quantum batteries, there’s no shortage of ideas and concepts. However, the Australian company Gelion Technologies believes it found a more affordable and durable approach with its zinc-bromine gel battery. Unlike lithium-ion units, the material found in Gelion’s design isn’t rare, expensive, or potentially flammable.
It’s yet another development coming out of Australia.
Wind Farms On The East Coast Of Scotland
This map shows the proposed wind farms off the East coast of Scotland.
There are five wind farms in the map.
- The green area is the cable corridor for Seagreen 1a
- Inch Cape is the odd-shaped wind farm to the North and West of the green area
- Seagreen at the top of the map, to the North of Inch Cape.
- Marr Bank with the pink NE-SW hatching
- Berwick Bank with the green NW-SE hatching
- Neart Na Gaoithe is edged in blue to the South of the green area.
Berwick Bank and Marr Bank are both owned by SSE and appear to have been combined.
These are some more details on each of the now four wind farms.
Seagreen
These are details of the Seagreen wind farm.
- Seagreen will be Scotland’s largest and the world’s deepest offshore wind farm when complete.
- The first phase will have 114 turbines and a capacity of 1075 MW.
- It will connect to the grid at a new substation at Tealing near Dundee.
- The cables will run to the North of the Inch Cape wind farm.
- It will be completed in 2023.
- The second phase (1a), will have 36 turbines.
- It may have larger turbines.
- The cables will run in the green area to Cockenzie in East Lothian.
This press release from SSE is entitled Another Milestone For Scotland’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm As 4,800 Tonnes Offshore Platform Completed.
This is the first paragraph.
The topside forms the backbone of the offshore wind farm. At 40 metres long, 45 metres wide and 15 metres high, the heavyweight superstructure’s role is to collect and manage 1,075MW of power generated by the 114 Vestas wind turbines before transferring it ashore via around 60km of offshore subsea cabling.
This platform is used to connect the 114 turbines to the shore.
Inch Cape
This paragraph from the home page of the Inch Cape web site, describes the wind farm.
The Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm, currently in late stage development, will see up to 72 turbines located 15 km off the Angus Coast and connect to the National Grid at Cockenzie, East Lothian. Once complete, it will be one of Scotland’s largest single sources of renewable energy and power up to 1 million homes with clean electricity.
The home page says it will generate up to 1 GW of electricity.
Neart Na Gaoithe
This sentence for the Wikipedia entry for the Neart Na Gaoithe web site describes the wind farm.
It is being developed by Mainstream Renewable Power at a cost of £1.4bn. Offshore work began in 2020, with completion planned for 2023.
The Wikipedia entry says it will generate up to 450 MW of electricity.
Berwick Bank
These two paragraphs from the project page of the Berwick Bank web site describes the wind farm.
Located in the North Sea, in the outer Firth of Forth, Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm has the potential to deliver up to 4.1 GW of installed capacity, making it one of the largest offshore opportunities in the world.
Berwick Bank Wind Farm is in the development stage and previously the project was comprised of two separate proposals, Berwick Bank Wind Farm and Marr Bank Wind Farm. Following initial rounds of consultation, it has been decided to combine our proposals into one single opportunity – Berwick Bank Wind Farm.
At 4.1 GW, Berwick Bank is a big wind farm.
The capacity of the four farms can be summarised as follows.
- Seagreen – 1075 MW
- Neart Na Gaoithe – 450 MW
- Inch Cape – 1000 MW
- Berwick Bank – 4100 MW
This gives a total of 6625 MW.
Gore Street Energy Storage Fund Seals ‘Landmark’ Acquisition In Germany
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Proactive Investors.
This is the first paragraph.
“This is a landmark acquisition with compelling fundamentals which not only demonstrates our entry into new markets but also increases our operational cash generating assets, and further diversifies Gore Street’s portfolio.”
I would assume that this is a quote from someone at Gore Street.
A more engineering approach is taken in this article on Renewsables Now, which is entitled Gore Street Buys 90% Stake In 22-MW/28-MWh Battery In Germany.
Gore Street Energy Storage Fund certainly have ambition.
Where Is Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant?
I have been looking on Google Maps to find Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine.
This Google Map shows the power plant with respect to the Black Sea.
Note.
- Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is marked by the red arrow above the Black Sea., at the top of the map.
- The River Dnieper runs between the Black Sea and the power plant.
- Crimea is the piece of land with Sevastopol marked on it.
This second Google Map shows the location of the power plant.
Note the wide River is the Dnieper, with what looks to be a series of breakwaters or a port enclosing a square patch of water towards the West.
This third Google Map shows the power plant in the North-East corner of the port.
Note that each of the red dots is one 3 GW nuclear reactor, which were built in the 1980s.
It appears that at this time of year, that the prevailing wind is in the East so Moldova will get any radiation.
But luckily, at the time of writing, everything seems OK.
Scotland’s Energy Storage
I have been using the web sites of Drax Group, SSE Renewables and ILI Group, and this page from Strathclyde University to look at various hydro-electric schemes to store energy using the tried-and-tested method of pumped hydro.
I have analysed these schemes.
Affric/Beauly
The scheme is now owned by SSE Renewables and has a page on their web site, which introduces the scheme like this.
Situated about 16 kilometres to the west of Inverness, Beauly is the gateway to the Affric/Beauly hydro electric scheme.
Currently, it generates a maximum power of 100.3 MW.
My analysis in Repurposing The Affric/Beauly Hydro-Electric Scheme, showed the following.
- Research from Strathclyde University, says that the Affric/Beauly scheme could support 78 GWh of pumped storage in one scheme at Fasnakyle.
- Adding pumped storage facilities to the Affric/Beauly hydro-electric scheme, with a capacity of upwards of a conservative 50 GWh, should be possible.
Generating capacity and system operation could be improved by replacing some or all of the 1950s and 1960s turbines with modern units and using modern control systems.
The Affric/Beauly hydro-electric scheme could be augmented by upwards of 50 GWh of storage.
Balliemeanoch
This new scheme is being developed by the ILI Group.
From what is published in the press. it appears to be a giant 1.5 GW/45 GWh project.
In Thoughts On The Balliemeanoch Pumped-Hydro Scheme, I analyse the plan.
The Balliemeanoch hydro-electric scheme could add 45 GWh of storage.
Balmacaan
This new scheme is being developed by SSE Renewables.
My searches in A Possible Balmacaan Pumped Storage System, showed the following.
It has a 600 MW generating capacity and I suspect would have about 15-20 GWh of storage.
The Balmacaan hydro-electric scheme could conservatively add upwards of 15 GWh of storage.
Breadalbane
The scheme is now owned by SSE Renewables and has a page on their web site, which introduces the scheme like this.
The Breadalbane scheme is set in the mountainous region around Loch Lyon, Loch Tay and Loch Earn in Perthshire.
Currently, it generates a maximum power of 168.4 MW.
My analysis in Repurposing The Breadalbane Hydro-Electric Scheme, showed the following.
- Research from Strathclyde University, says that the Breadalbane scheme could support 12 GWh of pumped storage in one scheme at Ben Lawers.
- I believe a similar scheme could be built South of Loch Tay to add a similar amount of pumped storage capacity.
As with the Beauly/Affric scheme, generating capacity and system operation could be improved by replacing some or all of the 1950s and 1960s turbines with modern units and using modern control systems.
The Breadalbane hydro-electric scheme could be augmented by upwards of 12 GWh of storage.
Coire Glass
This new scheme is being developed by SSE Renewables and the project has its own web site, which introduces the scheme like this.
Coire Glas is a hydro pumped storage scheme with a potential capacity of up to 1500MW. Coire Glas is an excellent pumped storage site with a large lower reservoir (Loch Lochy) and a significant elevation of more than 500m between the lower and the new upper reservoir site over a relatively short distance.
It is planned to generate a maximum power of up to 1.5 GW for twenty hours, which indicates an energy storage capacity of 30 GWh.
In SSE Renewables Launches 1.5GW Coire Glas Construction Tender, I talk about the current status of the project.
The Coire Glas hydro-electric scheme could add 30 GWh of storage.
Conon
The scheme is now owned by SSE Renewables and has a page on their web site, which introduces the scheme like this.
The Conon scheme lies within the northwest Highlands, broadly between Inverness and Ullapool. Electricity generation started here when the Ross-shire Electricity Supply Company built the small Falls of Conon hydro electric power station in the 1920s.
Currently, it generates a maximum power of 107.2 MW.
My analysis in Repurposing The Conon Hydro-Electric Scheme, showed the following.
- Research from Strathclyde University, says that the Conon scheme could support up to 131 GWh of pumped storage.
- Adding pumped storage facilities to the Conon hydro-electric scheme, with a capacity of upwards of a conservative 30-40 GWh, should be possible.
As with other schemes, generating capacity and system operation could be improved by replacing some or all of the 1950s turbines with modern units and using modern control systems.
The Conon hydro-electric scheme could be augmented by upwards of 30 GWh of storage.
Corrievarkie
This new scheme is being developed by the ILI Group.
From the planning application it appears to be a 600 MW/14.5 GWh project.
In Corrievarkie Pumped Storage Hydro Project, I analyse the plan.
The Corrievarkie hydro-electric scheme could add 14.5 GWh of storage.
Cruachan
Cruachan is a pumped-storage power station, that is owned by Drax, which have a comprehensive web site for the power station.
- It has an output of 440 MW.
- It has an energy storage capacity of 7.1 GWh
- It can can reach full generating capacity in less than 30 seconds.
In Drax’s Plans For Cruachan, I analyse Drax’s plans, which they call Cruachan 2.
- It will be a 600 MW power station.
- It will be to the East of the current power station.
- More than a million tonnes of rock would be excavated to build the power station.
The existing upper reservoir, which can hold 2.4 billion gallons of water, has the capacity to serve both power stations.
These was my conclusions.
It looks like very good engineering to me.
- There is a good chance, that on most nights, the reservoir will be filled using wind energy
- The maximum output of the Cruachan power station has been more than tripled from 323 to 1010 MW.
- There has been no increase in the size of the Cruachan reservoir.
Scotland will now have a GW-sized hydro-electric power station.
It will not be very much smaller than Sizewell B nuclear station.
Foyers
The scheme is now owned by SSE Renewables and has a page on their web site, which introduces the scheme like this.
The current Foyers Power Station operates quite differently to conventional hydro electric power stations. Foyers hydro scheme consists of one pumped hydro power station and one hydro power station and one major dam..
Currently, it generates a maximum power of 305 MW.
My research and analysis in The Development Of The Foyers Pumped Storage Scheme, showed the following.
- Foyers is a modern pumped-hydro scheme with a capacity of 10 GWh.
- The updating of the original 1896 hydro-power station to a modern pumped-storage system in 1974 is a superb example of hydro-power engineering.
The development of Foyers power station is an example, that shows what can be done in other hydro-electric schemes around Scotland and the rest of the world.
Galloway
Galloway is a hydroelectric scheme, that is owned by Drax, which have a comprehensive web site for their two hydroelectric schemes in Scotland; Galloway and Lanark.
- Galloway has a total output of 109 MW.
- It has six power stations at Drumjohn, Kendoon, Carsfad, Earlstoun, Glenlee and Tongland.
- There is no energy storage
- It is what is known as a run-of-the-river scheme.
The scheme opened in the 1930s.
Glendoe
The scheme is now owned by SSE Renewables and has a page on their web site, which introduces the scheme like this.
In 2009, the first major hydro electric power station to be built in Scotland for almost 30 years, Glendoe on the eastern shore of Loch Ness, began generating electricity.
Currently, it generates a maximum power of 106.5 MW.
My analysis in Glendoe Hydro Power Station, led me to conclude, that engineers will look at this scheme built in the early years of this century to convert it to a pumped storage facility. It might even have been designed for conversion to a pumped storage station, as it was built after the successful conversion of Foyers power station. Comparing the size of the upper lake to Foyers and other schemes, I would estimate it could easily provide in excess of 15 GWh of storage.
The Glendoe hydro-electric scheme could be augmented by upwards of 15 GWh of storage.
Glenmuckloch
This is a small scheme promoted by Buccleuch, that generates 4 MW and stores 1.6 GWh in a disused opencast coal mine.
My analysis in The Glenmuckloch Pumped Storage Scheme, led me to this conclusion.
This project appears to have stalled, but I do like the idea of using a disused mine to store energy and the engineering behind the project.
I will ignore it in my conclusions of this post.
Great Glen
The scheme is now owned by SSE Renewables and has a page on their web site, which introduces the scheme like this.
The Great Glen runs for more than 100 kilometres from Inverness in the northeast, to Fort William in the southwest, following a geological fault line that divides north and south Scotland.
Currently, it generates a maximum power of 112.7 MW.
My analysis in Repurposing The Great Glen Hydro-Electric Scheme, showed the following.
- Research from Strathclyde University, says that the Great Glen scheme could support up to 90 GWh of pumped storage.
- Adding pumped storage facilities to the Great Glen hydro-electric scheme, with a capacity of upwards of a conservative 30 GWh, should be possible.
As with other schemes, generating capacity and system operation could be improved by replacing some or all of the 1950s and 1960s turbines with modern units and using modern control systems.
The Great Glen hydro-electric scheme could be augmented by upwards of 30 GWh of storage.
Lanark
Lanark is a hydroelectric scheme, that is owned by Drax, which have a comprehensive web site for their two hydroelectric schemes in Scotland; Galloway and Lanark.
- Lanark has a total output of 17 MW.
- It has two power stations at Bonnington and Stonebyres.
- There is no energy storage
- It is what is known as a run-of-the-river scheme.
The scheme opened in the 1920s.
Red John
This new scheme is being developed by ILI Group and the project has its own web site, which introduces the scheme like this.
Between 2007 and 2015, the total installed capacity of renewables electricity in Scotland has more than doubled. Due to its intermittent nature, the rise in renewable generation has resulted in increased demand for flexible capacity to help meet energy balancing requirements for the national grid system.
Pumped storage hydro is considered by the Directors to be the most developed and largest capacity form of grid energy storage that currently exists. This can help reduce renewable energy curtailment and therefore promote grid stability.
The web site says this about the project.
- The scheme has an output of 450 MW.
- The storage capacity is 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.
It also has very detailed maps.
I wrote about the project in Red John Pumped Storage Hydro Project, where I came to these conclusions.
- 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.
It may only be a small scheme, that is a quarter of the size of the existing nearby Foyers pumped-storage scheme, but as it is shovel-ready, we should start digging.
The Red John hydro-electric scheme would add 2.8 GWh of storage.
Shin
The scheme is now owned by SSE Renewables and has a page on their web site, which introduces the scheme like this.
Shin is Scotland’s most northerly hydro electric scheme. It utilises water from a 650 square kilometre catchment area in Sutherland, including Loch Shin, and water from the River Cassley and River Brora.
Currently, it generates a maximum power of 32.1 MW.
My analysis in Shin Hydro Power Scheme, showed the following.
- I would be very surprised if any pumped storage were to be added to this scheme.
- This 1950s scheme has been partially updated.
Perhaps some more updating would be worthwhile.
Sloy/Awe
The scheme is now owned by SSE Renewables and has a page on their web site, which introduces the scheme like this.
With the exception of Cruachan Power Station which was commissioned in 1965, major work on the Sloy/Awe scheme was completed by 1963, the year the Beatles had their first No 1 hit with From Me To You – and a world away from the immediate post-war austerity being experienced when Sloy Power Station was commissioned just 14 years earlier.
Currently, it generates a maximum power of 261.9 MW.
My analysis in Repurposing The Sloy/Awe Hydro-Electric Scheme, showed the following.
- Research from Strathclyde University, says that the Sloy/Awe scheme could support up to 68 GWh of pumped storage.
- Adding pumped storage facilities to the Sloy/Awe hydro-electric scheme, with a capacity of upwards of a conservative 40 GWh, should be possible.
As with other schemes, generating capacity and system operation could be improved by replacing some or all of the 1930s and 1950s turbines with modern units and using modern control systems.
The Sloy/Awe hydro-electric scheme could be augmented by upwards of 40 GWh of storage.
Tummel Valley
The scheme is now owned by SSE Renewables and has a page on their web site, which introduces the scheme like this.
The Tummel scheme stretches from Dalwhinnie, famous for its whisky distillery, in the north, to the remote Rannoch Station in the west, and the highly-popular tourist town of Pitlochry in the east.
Currently, it generates a maximum power of 309.2 MW.
My analysis in Repurposing The Tummel Hydro-Electric Scheme, showed the following.
- Research from Strathclyde University, says that the Tummel Valley scheme could support up to 135 GWh of pumped storage.
- Adding pumped storage facilities to the Tummel Valley hydro-electric scheme, with a capacity of upwards of a conservative 40-60 GWh, should be possible.
As with other schemes, generating capacity and system operation could be improved by replacing some or all of the 1930s and 1950s turbines with modern units and using modern control systems.
The Tummel Valley hydro-electric scheme could be augmented by upwards of 40 GWh of storage.
A Simple Summary
These are deliberately conservative figures from my analysis.
- Affric/Beauly – 50 GWh
- Balliemeanoch – 45 GWh
- Balmacaan – 15 GWh
- Breadalbane – 12 GWh
- Coire Glas – 30 GWh
- Conon – 30 GWh
- Corrievarkie – 14.5 GWh
- Glendoe – 15 GWh
- Great Glen – 30 GWh
- Red John – 2.8 GWh
- Sloy/Awe – 40 GWh
- Tummel Valley – 40 GWh
Note.
- With new storage like Balliemeanoch, Balmacaan, Coire Glas, Corrievarkie and Red John, I am using published figures where they are available.
- With figures from existing schemes,I am being deliberately very conservative.
That is a total of 324.3 GWh with 107.3 GWh down to new storage
Strathclyde University’s Prediction
This page on the Strathclyde University web site, gives these figures for the possible amounts of pumped-storage that can be added to existing schemes.
- Errochty – 16
- Glasgarnock – 23
- Luichart – 38
- Clunie – 40
- Fannich – 70
- Rannoch – 41
- Fasnakyle – 78
- Tummel – 38
- Ben Lawers – 12
- Nant – 48
- Invermoriston – 22
- Invergarry – 41
- Quoich – 27
- Sloy – 20
That is a total of 514 GWh or 621.3 GWh if you include new storage.
Conclusion
Scotland and the UK, has been left a superb legacy for the future by the pioneering work of Scottish engineers and the North of Scotland Hydroelectric Board.
Most of these assets are now in the hands of two groups; Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and Drax Group.
Having seen several of the schemes detailed in this post, in the last few weeks, on Michael Portillo’s; Great Coastal Railway Journeys, it does seem that both groups are looking after their assets.
SSE and Drax also seem to be doing their best to publicise the success of one of the UK’s high-value, but low-profile engineering assets.
I believe that we should do a survey that would identify the following.
- What needs to be done to allow each aqueduct, dam, power station and tunnel to continue to function until a given date in the future.
- Which of the individual schemes can be updated to larger schemes or pumped storage systems.
We would then be able to device a long term plan to create a world-class hydro-electric power scheme for Scotland.
Scotland should be able to provide upwards of 400 GWh of pumped-storage.
This article on Current News is entitled Up To 24GW Of Long Duration Storage Needed For 2035 Net Zero Electricity System – Aurora.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Deploying large quantities of long duration electricity storage (LDES) could reduce system costs and reliance on gas, but greater policy support is needed to enable this, Aurora Energy Research has found.
In a new report, Aurora detailed how up to 24GW of LDES – defined as that with a duration of four hours or above – could be needed to effectively manage the intermittency of renewable generation in line with goals of operating a net zero electricity system by 2035. This is equivalent to eight times the current installed capacity.
Additionally, introducing large quantities of LDES in the UK could reduce system costs by £1.13 billion a year in 2035, cutting household bills by £26 – a hot topic with energy bills on the rise as a result of high wholesale power prices.
The report also says that long duration storage could cut carbon emissions by ten million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
It appears to me, Scotland can provide more than enough energy storage for the UK and the Island of Ireland, even if the seas around the British Isles were almost completed covered by wind turbines.
In addition, to the works in Scotland to update the various hydroelectric schemes, there would need to be more interconnectors around the UK and probably to close countries like Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway.
There could even be an interconnector between Iceland and Scotland, so Iceland’s abundance of zero-carbon electricity could be exported to Europe.
The Glenmuckloch Pumped Storage Scheme
This article on the BBC is entitled Glenmuckloch Opencast Mine Hydro Energy Scheme Approved.
- It appears to be capable of generating 400 MW.
- Energy storage capability appears to be 1.6 GWh.
- It is to be built in a disused opencast coal mine.
It is only a small scheme, but it does seem to have planning approval.
The Scheme has a web page, which is entitled Glenmuckloch Pumped Storage Hydro
- It is being promoted by Buccleuch and 2020 Renewables and respected consultants; Arup has produced this Non-Technical Summary.
- The Non-Technical Summary is a very professional document and an interesting read.
- 2020 Renewables are now part of Forsa Energy.
- It is certainly an interesting way of removing the remains of an opencast coal mine.
According to this article on the BBC, which is entitled Buyer Sought For £250m Hydro Scheme At Glenmuckloch, the project now appears to be for sale.
Whether it will sell will depend on the cost of realising the scheme, the finance and how much the scheme will earn.
Conclusion
This project appears to have stalled, but I do like the idea of using a disused mine to store energy and the engineering behind the project.
The Anonymous Widower 