The Anonymous Widower

On The Bonnie, Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomon’

I couldn’t resist using the first line of one of the most famous Scottish traditional songs, as the title of this post.

But a very significant power station project, is to be undertaken in the area.

These are the opening few sentences of the Wikipedia entry for the Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Scheme.

The Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Scheme is a hydro-electric facility situated between Loch Sloy and Inveruglas on the west bank of Loch Lomond in Scotland. It is also within the Arrochar Alps. The site was originally suggested as the location of a huge pumped-storage scheme in 1936 by Edward MacColl, but this was rejected as being uneconomic. After the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board was created in 1943, it became the first of their proposed schemes.

This Google Map shows Loch Lomond and Loch Sloy.

Note.

  1. Loch Sloy is in the North-West corner of the map.
  2. Loch Lomond is on the Eastern side of the map.
  3. The red arrow indicates the main buildings of the LochSloy Hydro-Electric Power Station.
  4. Loch Sloy is eight-hundred feet above Loch Lomond.
  5. The total generating capacity of the power station is 152.5 MW.

The facility is operated by Scottish and Southern Energy, and is normally in standby mode, ready to generate electricity to meet sudden peaks in demand. It can reach full capacity within 5 minutes from a standing start.

This second Google Map shows the power station to a larger scale.

Note.

  1. Loch Sloy is to the North-West of the North-West corner of the map.
  2. Loch Lomond is on the Eastern side of the map.
  3. The red arrow indicates the main buildings of the Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Power Station.
  4. The four pipes carry water from Loch Sloy to the actual power station.
  5. The single-track West Highland Line crosses over the four pipes at their South-Eastern end.

The design of Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Power Station is typical of many hydro-electric stations all over the world.

This third map is an OpenRailwayMap of the area.

Note.

  1. Loch Sloy is on the Western side of the map.
  2. Loch Lomond is on the Eastern side of the map.
  3. The yellow track is the single-track West Highland Line between Glasgow and Mallaig via Fort William
  4. The blue arrow indicates Ardlui station.

The railway goes close to the power station.

A Platinum Celebration for Sloy Power Station!

The title of this section is the same as this must-read web page on the SSE web site, which dates from 2020.

Sloy Power Station Development Plans

This second must read  web page on the SSE web site is entitled Sloy Power Station.

This is the sub-heading.

We’re Proposing To Convert Our Iconic 1950s Hydro Station To Pumped Storage Hydro

This is the introduction to the development.

In April 2025, we submitted a planning application to the Scottish Government to convert the iconic Sloy Power Station into a pumped storage hydro scheme.

Our proposals would bolster energy security and help provide the large-scale and flexible renewable energy back-up needed in a future UK net zero power system, helping meet the UK Government’s ambition of Clean Power by 2030.

If approved for delivery, the converted Sloy scheme would be capable of delivering up to 16GWh of long-duration electricity storage capacity.

It could provide firm, flexible renewable energy for up to 100 hours non-stop.

It appears that the upgraded power station will effectively become a 160 MW/16 GWh long duration energy store.

Currently, the UK’s largest pumped storage power station is the 1727 MW/9.1 GWh Electric Mountain in North Wales.

The updated Sloy power station will have less output, but more storage capacity, than Electric Mountain.

Should There Be A Railway Station At Loch Sloy Power Station?

Google AI gives this answer in reply to “Loch Sloy Railway Station”.

There was never a permanent public railway station called Loch Sloy, but temporary private platforms like Inveruglas railway station and Faslane Platform railway station served the area. These stops were built in 1945 by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) to haul materials and workers—including prisoners of war—for the construction of the Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Scheme.

Note.

  1. Surely, similar reasons to those in 1945 could apply to the development of the power station. Materials and workers could be brought in by rail.
  2. Given, the power station’s historic significance, I believe that it could become a tourist attraction and/or education centre.It could be a stop for the Caledonian Sleeper.

I believe that as time passes, the power station’s historic significance will increase.

Are There Any Other Hydro Power Stations, That Can Be Upgraded To Pumped Storage Hydro?

Google AI can’t find anything at present.

 

 

 

July 24, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Design, Energy, Energy Storage, Environment, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Four Of The Largest Grid Batteries From Fidra

Fidra have made a big splash as they enter the UK’s Long Duration Energy Storage market, with three grid batteries.

Bicker Fen 1 and 2

Capacity – 1.20 GW/2.40 GWh

Web site

Commission Date – BF1-2028, BF2-2029

Thorpe Marsh

Capacity – 1.45 GW/2.90 GWh

Web site

Commission Date – Q1-2027

West Burton C

Capacity – 500 MW/1 GWh

Web site

Commission Date – Q4-2027

Note.

  1. All are two-hour batteries.
  2. Each battery has some drone footage of the site.

July 21, 2026 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

UK Pumped Storage Projects Surge After 40-year Gap

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on International Dam and Waterpower Construction.

This is the sub-heading.

Plans are underway to ensure the UK soon adds to its pumped storage portfolio, which hasn’t seen the development of a new project for over 40 years

This first paragraph gives a summary of the new pumped storage hydro schemes under development.

According to the British Hydropower Association (BHA), although the UK hasn’t witnessed new pumped storage capacity for over 40 years, there are now 11 schemes at various stages of development across Scotland and Wales, with a combined 10 GW and 200 GWh of storage capacity.

Note.

  1. Currently, there is a total of 2.8 GW/24-26 GWh of pumped storage hydro in the UK in four plants.
  2. Two are in Scotland and two are in Wales.

The world’s largest operational pumped storage hydro scheme is the Fengning Pumped Storage Power Station in China, which is 3.6 GW/ 40 GWh.

The second paragraph gives details of Coire Glas, which is one of the largest being constructed.

Mike Seaton from SSE Renewables gave an update on a project his company has been working on – the 1.4GW and 30GWh, £2 billion Coire Glas scheme. Planning consent was given in 2020 and a 1km exploratory tunnel has already been dug. With the final investment decision expected in 2026, the scheme could be generating power by 2033.

Note.

  1. This scheme is almost half the size of the world’s largest scheme in China.
  2. It is planned to take thirteen years to build from planning permission.
  3. The slightly smaller 1.7 GW/9.1 GWh Dinorwig power station took ten years to build and cost half a billion.

Pumped storage hydro powerstations consume a lot of time and money in the building phase.

The View Of An MSP Is Given

Michael Matheson MSP said this.

Working alongside the British Hydropower Association, it is my ambition that frank and open engagement can take place between industry, developers, and communities to ensure that Scotland maximises it’s PSH potential while delivering real improvements for communities and driving towards a sustainable economy and energy mix.

That’s a good attitude.

Scottish Pumped Storage Experience

Under this sub-heading three new large schemes are outlined.

  • Earba – 1.8 GW/40 GWh
  • Fearna – 1.8 GW/36 GWh
  • Glen Earrach Energy – 2 GW/34-46 GWh

Note.

  1. All seem to have at least initial planning permission.
  2. All are larger than Dinorwig.
  3. The three schemes total around 5.6 GW/ 116 GWh.

Scotland seems to be finding places to site these monster pumped storage hydro systems.

Cap & Floor For Pumped Storage Hydro

This paragraph talks about how the authorities and an energy company are talking about a better financial regime, that will encourage investment.

Gilkes Energy is also working with the UK Government and Ofgem to implement the Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) ‘Cap & Floor’ mechanism in 2025. This policy is expected to facilitate investment in PSH projects by addressing financial risks. Crompton noted that the mechanism has already attracted private investment for interconnectors and is expected to do the same for pumped storage.

Note.

  1. My experience with truck leasing and peer-to-peer lending, tells me, that if you want billions you can get it.
  2. Goldman Sachs has taken an interest in Highview Power, who are developing liquid-air batteries, which are up to 300 MW/ 3.2 GWh.
  3. Barclays have also invested in specialist batteries to charge electric buses, as I wrote in First Bus To Launch 1MW BESS Unit In Hampshire, Aberdeen To Follow.
  4. From what is said in World’s Largest Wind Farm Attracts Huge Backing From Insurance Giant, I can see big insurance companies like Aviva, helping to fund pumped storage hydro.

With pumped storage hydro, which is very much a scenic asset, the CEO of the investing company can have a nice picture on his wall.

Upgrading Sloy

The upgrading of Sloy hydro power station to a pumped storage hydro powerstation, is unusual, but the sort of practical idea, that engineers think up over a few pints of real ale.

These two paragraphs outline the Upgrade.

Back in April, SSE Renewables submitted a Section 36 planning application to the Scottish Government to convert the existing Sloy Power Station near Loch Lomond into a pumped storage hydro scheme. The proposal would see the station, which has operated since 1950, adapted to include a pumping capacity of up to 100MW, allowing it to deliver up to 16GWh of long-duration electricity storage. If approved, SSE plans to reach a final investment decision by late 2027, with the conversion completed and operational by the end of 2030.

The project would involve installing new pumps at the Inveruglas site, enabling water to be pumped from Loch Lomond to Loch Sloy during low electricity demand periods. This stored water would then be released to generate electricity when demand is higher. The application also includes a proposal to upgrade the station’s existing 32.5MW G4 turbine, which would raise the plant’s total generating capacity from 152.5MW to 160MW.

 

Note.

  1. Sloy has been operating for 76 years.
    It looks like it could be a 160 MW/ 16 GWh pumped storage hydro powerstation.
    I doubt there would be any planning problems.

With Cruachan pumped storage hydro powerstation and the 300 MW/3.2 GWh Highview Power battery at Hunterston, it would be one of a number of assets protecting Glasgow’s electricity supply.

New Ways To Use Water

This section starts with these two paragraphs.

As discussions at a recent webinar hosted by the International Hydropower Association highlighted, other technologies need to be able to step up to provide deep storage in locations where conventional pumped storage is unable to.

Gavin O’Leary is the Head of Electricity Storage Policy at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). Explaining that although the UK has 2.8GW of Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) capacity installed in the form traditional pumped storage across four sites, he said: “We have not found the right model in a privatised electricity grid to incentivise development of storage.” And that’s why the country has gone over four decades without adding to its stockpile of long duration storage.

O’Leary also says, that it takes a long time to build.

Scalable Solution

This section starts with these two paragraphs.

Stephen Crosher is the CEO of RheEnergise, a company that is developing High-Density Hydro. Based on traditional pumped hydro storage, it claims to be solving the challenges the technology faces, such as lack of sites, environmental and social issues around flooding valleys, water abstraction, the time taken to consent and construct, plus distances from generation or demand.

RheEnergise’s solution is a form of gravitational energy storage that pumps proprietary fluid uphill. And with the LDES market predicted to be US$4 billion by 2040, with rapid scaling and exponential growth, Crosher says there is a “huge demand for solutions to solve the problems”.

High Density Hydro, the company believes, is a scalable pumped storage solution for the future.

As I thought so too, I invested a small amount of my pension.

Although RheEnergise looks good, there is one small drawback.

Although they’re “looking for small hills and not mountains” for prospective project sites, Crosher admits that elevation can be a prohibiting factor. Consequently in the UK, flatter areas such as East Anglia, along with other countries such as The Netherlands, won’t provide favourable conditions. However a small hill or mine or mine shaft will suffice. In fact, he said the company is currently assessing a 280m mine shaft in Wales.

But I do like the concept of a non-nuclear heavy water, with a specific gravity of 2.5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 12, 2026 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage, Environment, Finance & Investment | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How Much Pumped Storage Hydro Will Be Operational In The UK By 2030?

Pumped Storage Hydro is the Bank of England-standard for energy storage.

I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this post and received this answer.

The UK currently has approximately 3 GW (roughly 26-28 GWh) of operational pumped storage hydro (PSH) capacity. By 2030, this capacity is expected to increase, driven by new projects in the pipeline that aim to meet a government goal of up to 8 GW of long-duration energy storage by that year.

Key Projects Expected Online by 2030-2031:

Coire Glas (SSE): A major project in Scotland with a planned capacity of 1.3 GW / 30 GWh, expected to be operational around 2030–31.

Cruachan Expansion (Drax): A 600MW plant in Scotland that has received approval, with construction expected to contribute to the 2030 goal.

Glenmuckloch: Projected to be operational by 2029. In 

Other Developments:

Total Pipeline: Developers have identified up to 10 GW of potential projects in the Scottish Highlands and Wales, though not all will be operational by 2030.

Future Growth: The total installed capacity of PSH is expected to grow significantly, with one projection suggesting a rise from 26.7 GWh currently to over 122 GWh by 2034.

To support these projects, the UK government has confirmed a “cap and floor” investment framework to stimulate development of long-duration energy storage (LDES).

For a relatively small island we do seem to be an ideal place to develop pumped storage hydro!

The Coire Glas Pumped Storage Scheme

In The Coire Glas Pumped Storage Scheme, I give more details of this scheme.

The Glenmuckloch Pumped Storage Scheme

In The Glenmuckloch Pumped Storage Scheme, I give more details of this scheme, which is based on a disused open cast coal mine.

Addition Of Pumped Storage Hydro By 2030

This looks to be around 5 GW, but it is just a foretaste of the shape of things to come!

February 28, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Could A Highview Power CRYOBattery Provide Backup Power For A Large Data Centre?

I asked Google AI how much power does a data centre need and got this answer.

The power requirements for an average data center vary greatly depending on its size and purpose, ranging from 1-5 MW for small facilities to 20-100 MW or more for large hyperscale centers. Small data centers, typically with 500-2,000 servers, might need 1-5 MW of power, while large or hyperscale data centers, housing tens of thousands of servers, can consume 20-100 MW or even more.

As Highview Power are currently building four 200 MW/2.5 GWh CRYOBatteries for the UK, I am fairly sure the answer is in the affirmative.

May 4, 2025 Posted by | Computing, Energy, Energy Storage | , , , | Leave a comment

Another Headache For Fossil Fuels: Liquid Air Energy Storage

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Clean Technica.

This article is an honest American look at Highview Power’s liquid air batteries and a must-read.

This is the first paragraph.

Whatever happened to liquid air energy storage? The UK startup Highview Power was going to bring its new liquid air system to the US back in 2019, providing the kind of scaled-up and long duration energy storage needed to support more wind and solar power on the grid. Highview switched gears and headed back home where the grass is greener. Our loss is the UK’s gain…

They first wrote about Highview Power in 2011, which shows how long some of these projects take to come to fruition.

The article also has this view on the state of offshore wind in the United States today.

Perhaps it’s just as well that Highview dropped its US plans when it did. Offshore wind stakeholders in the US were just beginning to find their footing along the Atlantic coast when President Trump took office on January 20 and promptly sent the offshore industry into a death spiral.

If I lived in the US today, I’d thinking about leaving given Trump’s barmy energy policies.

This paragraph from Highview Power’s web site, discloses their backers.

The £300 million funding round was led by the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) and the British multinational energy and services company Centrica, alongside a syndicate of investors including Rio Tinto, Goldman Sachs, KIRKBI and Mosaic Capital.

So at least some American companies believe in Highview Power. KIRKBI is the investment vehicle of the family, that invented Lego.

April 15, 2025 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

UK Government Sets 8-Hour Minimum For LDES Cap-And-Floor Scheme

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Energy Storage News.

This is the sub-heading.

The UK government has published a Technical Decision Document confirming crucial aspects of its long duration electricity storage (LDES) cap-and-floor scheme, which includes increasing the minimum duration required from six hours to eight.

These three paragraphs give more details.

The document, released by regulator Ofgem on 11 March, details the final overarching rules and requirements for the scheme as well as how it will be implemented, though significant detail still remains to be worked out.

The scheme will provide a cap-and-floor revenue protection for 20-25 years that will allow all capital costs to be recoverable, and is effectively a subsidy for LDES projects that may not be commercially viable without it. Most energy storage projects being deployed in the UK today are lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS) of somewhere between 1-hour and 3-hour in duration (very occasionally higher).

One of the most significant new details of the scheme is that, following industry feedback, the minimum duration for projects to qualify has been increased from six hours to eight hours of continuous rated power.

As a control engineer, I believe this is all good stuff and is a good improvement on the previous regime.

The whole article is a must read and I believe that more investors, will invest heavily in energy storage.

But then the UK, with its massive potential for offshore wind, has the resources to create and fill many GW of energy storage.

Boris once said, that we would become the Saudi Arabia of wind!

 

March 18, 2025 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage, Finance & Investment | , , , , | Leave a comment

Could Highview Power’s Batteries Be Used Offshore?

When I first saw Highview Power’s Liquid Air batteries or Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES), I liked them.

This was partly because I’d investigated large tanks for chemical reactions and I like their mathematics.

But it was mainly because the concept had been developed by a lone inventor in Bishops Stortford.

In Could A Highview Power CRYOBattery Use A LNG Tank For Liquid Air Storage?, I bcalculated, that a 5,000 cubic metre tank could hold about a GWh of electricity as liquid air.

So just as steel and concrete tanks were placed on the sea floor to hold oil and gas, could they be placed on the sea floor to hold compressed air?

I don’t see why not!

I suspect, that it’s all fairly standard offshore engineering.

If you want more storage, you would just add more tanks.

Could They Be Combined With Electrical Substations?

I don’t see why not!

There may be advantages with respect to safety and noise.

January 27, 2025 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , | 2 Comments

Highview Power Releases More Details Of The Hunterston LDES

In a long and detailed press release, these are the first two paragraphs.

London, 15 October 2024: The First Minister for Scotland, John Swinney MSP, welcomed Highview Power Executives to Scotland House in London today as the company announced its intention to develop its Hunterston project in Scotland as part of its multi-billion-pound LDES programme. Hunterston will deliver five times Scotland’s current operational battery storage capacity and is strategically placed in the grid transmission network to maximise the use of Scottish-produced renewable electricity. This follows Highview Power’s funding round in June where it secured a £300 million investment for its 300MWh proprietary Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) technology at Carrington, near Manchester.

Supported by the Scottish Government, Hunterston is the first project in Highview Power’s second phase, which comprises four projects across Scotland and Northern England. The 2.5GWh LAES plant at Hunterston will deliver an 8-fold increase in storage capacity on Carrington – to deliver enough power 650,000 homes for 12.5 hours.

Note these important points.

  1. The Hunterston battery will be the first of four 200 MW/2.5 GWh batteries.
  2. Together, these four batteries will have a distributed 1600 MW/10 GWh capability.
  3. For comparison, Dinorwig pumped storage hydroelectric power station, in Snowdonia, which opened in 1984, has a 1600 MW/9.1 GWh capability.
  4. The second battery will be in Aberdeenshire.
  5. The Hunterston project will support 1,000 jobs onsite during construction and 650 jobs in the supply chain.

John Swinney, who is First Minister for Scotland, summed the project up like this.

The creation of the largest liquid air energy facility in the world, in Ayrshire, demonstrates just how valuable Scotland is in delivering a low carbon future as well as supporting the global transition to net zero.

October 16, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , | Leave a comment

Highview Power Plans To Develop 2.5GWh LDES Project In Scotland

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

This is the sub-heading.

The liquid air energy storage plant at Hunterston is set to deliver a substantial increase in storage capacity

These first three paragraphs add a few more details.

Highview Power has announced plans to develop a long-duration energy storage (LDES) project in Ayrshire, Scotland, with a capacity of 2.5 gigawatt hours (GWh).

The project will be built at Peel Ports’ property at Hunterston, North Ayrshire and will provide five times the existing battery storage capacity of Scotland.

It is supported by the Scottish government and its strategic location optimises the use of renewable electricity produced in the country.

Note.

  1. Highview Power talks of 200MW/2.5GWh capacity batteries in Scotland on its web site, so I suspect this battery is one of those.
  2. This battery is as large as some pumped storage hydro systems.
  3. In UK Infrastructure Bank, Centrica & Partners Invest £300M in Highview Power Clean Energy Storage Programme To Boost UK’s Energy Security, I described the funding now behind Highview Power. The funding appears to be solid, as it includes the UK Infrastructure Bank, Centrica, Goldman Sachs and Rio Tinto.

This is a good start for Highview Power.

October 16, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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