Hydro News

11/04/2011

Construction phase nears completion for Glen Lyon hydropower scheme

Construction of a new 807 kW hydropower station is progressing on programme and on budget in an approximately £1.8 million contract at Roroyere, Glen Lyon, Scotland for Green Highland Renewables.

 

The first of three small run-of-river hydropower schemes in Glen Lyon to be developed by Perth-based Green Highland Renewables, this nine- month scheme is being constructed under an option and lease agreement.

Alastair Riddell, Managing Director at Green Highland Renewables, said:

“The project is making excellent progress and we have not had any major problems. We will be proceeding to commissioning at the end of May 2011 and should be generating by the beginning of June.

“This is a very exciting time for our business and for hydro in Scotland in general as we all work towards achieving the Scottish Government’s ambitious renewable energy targets. Green Highland is right at the forefront of new hydro development in Scotland providing advice and solutions to landowners on sustainable schemes, and geared to deliver the whole process through design, procurement and operation.”

Main contractors for the civils works at Roroyere are Tam Shilliday. Project managers are Green Highland Renewables.

Works completed to date include the construction of a small concrete weir complete with a fish pass, plunge pools and Coanda wash-over screens to remove debris from the water. Underground plastic and ductile iron pipework has also been installed, the concrete walls and roof of the turbine house have been poured, and the roof is being fitted ready for the imminent delivery of the NHT Engineering New Mills turbine and Hitzinger generator.

Following this, the mechanical and electrical works, including the installation of the main grid transformer and the grid connection, will be carried out by Scottish Electrical Contracting and SHEPD. This will be undertaken in line with the energization programme in the last two weeks of April and the first two weeks of May 2011.

The Roroyere Hydro Scheme is part of the Glen Lyon Partnership hydro project, a series of seven planned hydropower developments that has also required investment in 20 km of 33 kV underground cabling in Glen Lyon to enable connection to the National Grid.

Alastair Riddell says:

"Scotland is absolutely ripe for more hydropower. We have been successfully using the technology here for more than 100 years. Our terrain and our climate are ideally suited to it, with many suitable sites in the Highlands for small and medium sized schemes, and Green Highland is now at the forefront in delivering this technology to land owners and other enterprises who have identified the diversification and income generation opportunities that hydro can bring."

Among other projects, Green Highland Renewables is also undertaking the feasibility study for the development of small-scale run-of-river hydro schemes on the National Forest Estate in the northwest Highlands.