Norwegian hydropower giant Statkraft has announced that it will acquire a 450 MW 'water battery' project next to Loch Ness, Scotland. Used to store excess renewable energy, the Loch Ness facility will be added to Statkraft's already impressive Scottish portfolio of green tech, including onshore wind farms. The facility is located roughly 14km southwest of Inverness and is being sold by Intelligent Land Investments Group (ILI).

Move over Nessie

More famous for its illusive prehistoric resident, Loch Ness' Red John Pumped Storage Hydro Scheme, aka 'water battery', is a form of pumped storage plant. 

Pumped storage plants use reversible turbines to store excess power from sources such as wind farms by pumping water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir, effectively acting like giant water batteries. The stored water is brought back through the plant by reversing the turbines to generate power as needed. 

"Pending a final investment decision, this significant UK renewable energy infrastructure project will support hundreds of jobs during construction and provide locally based permanent jobs once operational," Statkraft said in a press release.

“Statkraft is fully committed to supporting the UK in strengthening its energy security and helping to secure the economic benefits of the net zero transition,” said the company’s UK managing director, Kevin O’Donovan. “The acquisition of this significant pumped hydro storage scheme will play a key role in that.

“But there needs to be an appropriate support mechanism in place, so we’re now looking to the UK government to provide the certainty that will allow us to proceed with confidence."  

Kevin O’Donovan echoed calls from industry and the Scottish government for Westminster to support the development of long-duration energy storage – including pumped hydro storage – through a market support mechanism. The industry has proposed a 'cap-and-floor mechanism' to guarantee a minimum income for pumped hydro projects that have received planning permission.

ILI CEO Mark Wilson urged the UK government to provide support mechanisms for long-duration storage and become a world leader in achieving net zero. In July, the Scottish government approved a 600MW pumped hydro plant on Ben Cruachan, also known as the 'Hollow Mountain'. The UK’s Drax Group, which developed the project, called for a financial stabilisation mechanism to support other similar 'water batteries'.