Switch-on for Kinlochleven’s £13.6m hydro scheme
IT WAS the first village in the world to have every house connected to electricity at a time London's inhabitants were still reading by gaslight and now, over a century on, Kinlochleven has witnessed the switch on of a new multi-million pound hydro power scheme.
The event on Thursday saw a large number of local residents make their way up into the hills above the village for the official turning on of Green Highland Renewables’ latest scheme at Loch Eilde Mor.
The £13.6 million development was declared open by Lochaber councillor Andrew Baxter and was also attended by Kinlochleven community councillors, along with new landowner Jahama Highland Estates, the property arm of GFG Alliance which bought the smelting business in Lochaber and Kinlochleven last year.
Alex Reading, development director at Green Highland Renewables, reminded those present that hydro-electricity had been part of Kinlochleven history for more than 100 years.
‘It has provided skilled employment during construction and we thank the local community for their support since work began in early 2016. We are pleased the project will now offer a steady stream of income to this community in the years ahead,’ added Mr Reading.
‘The recent reduction in tariffs by the UK Government means the economics of building new hydro schemes is increasingly challenging, however, we still believe there is scope for further projects in the Highlands, provided they are in the right location and are built with care.’
A new Kinlochleven Common Good Fund is being established to disperse the £5,000 per MW per annum community benefit from the scheme.
North British Aluminium Company first established a smelter in the area between 1904 and 1909, harnessing hydro-power from the Blackwater Reservoir.
By 1909, 1,000 workers were employed and what had previously been two small separate communities of just a handful of crofts was now a thriving single village.
Loch Eilde Mor was eventually dammed between the wars to become a feeder loch for the Blackwater Reservoir, which in turn fed the Kinlochleven smelter.
Authorities even considered calling the new village ‘Aluminiumville’ such was the revolutionary economic and social impact of the smelter.
Commenting, Mr Baxter also highlighted Kinlochleven’s links with the pioneering days of hydro power generation.
‘Over a century ago, Kinlochleven became the ‘electric village’ and we are rightly proud of that heritage.
‘How appropriate that so many years after those industrial pioneers established modern Kinlochleven we are opening a new hydro scheme that will also benefit the community,’ he told the gathering.
‘I am delighted Green Highland Renewables is providing the full community benefit recommended by Highland Council. When established, this new fund will support events and projects throughout the village with priorities decided by villagers.’
The last two years has been a busy time for Green Highland Renewables, which has now developed 11 such schemes.
All these projects have been financed by funds managed by Ancala Partners, the independent mid-market infrastructure investment manager which acquired the firm in April 2015.