The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
£50m renovation of Tummel Bridge hydro power plant
A£50 million investment to refurbish a hydroelectric power station in Perthshire will create 65 jobs.
The investment by SSE Renewables in the Tummel Bridge power station is expected to extend its operational life by at least 40 years.
The refurbishment, which will begin in the spring, will create 65 construction jobs.
It is planned to be completed in late 2023, to coincide with the hydro power plant’s 90th anniversary.
The move comes as greater emphasis is being placed on the role of hydro power to help Scotland achieve its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas by 2045.
Located in the centre of the overall Tummel valley hydro scheme, Tummel Bridge power station was commissioned in 1933.
As part of the improvements, the existing two “camel back” twinrunner, hydro turbines at Tummel Bridge will be replaced with modern runner technology.
That will mean a rise in water flow, which will lead to an increase in output at the plant to 38MW.
SSE Renewables head of hydro operations, Peter Diver, said: “Hydro power is Scotland’s original source of renewable energy.
“It has an increasingly vital role to play in our path to achieving net zero carbon emissions in Scotland by 2045 and the UK by 2050.
“By replacing the existing turbines at Tummel Bridge, we will be able to safely extend the operational life of the station by at least 40 years.
“Tummel Bridge will be part of our future net-zero power system.”
Mr Diver said replacing the existing turbines would help “make best use of the available water flow” to increase output.
The Tummel Bridge investment announcement was made yesterday at the annual Scottish Renewables Hydro Conference.
Scottish Renewables chief executive Claire Mack said: “A mix of renewable energy technologies will be needed if we are to meet our climate change targets, as well as smart systems to manage the way power is generated, transported and used.
“Hydro, which provides almost a fifth of Scotland’s clean electricity, is an increasingly important part of that energy mix, providing as it does the flexibility to generate when power is most needed.”
She said further investment in pumped storage hydropower could mean a more certain path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2045.
She said it would also bring “significant benefits” to local supply chain companies and communities.
SSE Renewables is also progressing the development of its consented 1.5GW Coire Glas pumped storage project in Scotland’s Great Glen.