Glen Noe river hydro scheme all powered up

A £6.5 million river-run renewable energy scheme at Glen Noe near Taynuilt is finally up and running, supplying enough power for 1,436 homes each year.

The Glen Noe Hydro Scheme also brings with it £3,000 that will be given yearly during its working lifetime to Taynuilt Community Council to spend on good causes and projects on its doorstep.

Taynuilt Community Council chairman Davie Sloss said the money was welcomed and a good relationship had been enjoyed between residents and UK Hydro during the site’s construction.

The hydro also made sure

The Glen Noe Hydro is part of a £6.5 million investment.

it did not disrupt its feathered neighbours during the building works by avoiding disturbing nearby nesting golden eagles.

‘We’ve had a good relationship with the hydro scheme during its construction and look forward to it continuing. The £3,000 every year will be well spent within the community being distributed directly by the community council on projects and activities benefiting the people who live here,’ said Mr Sloss.

The new hydro community fund will be on the agenda at Taynuilt Community Council’s forthcoming annual general meeting.

The hydro on the Glen Noe Estate near Loch Etive was given permission by Argyll and Bute Council in September 2016.

Weirs

The construction that started in 2019 included building a powerhouse, 3km of buried pipeline and three intake weirs.

The grid connection was completed this January and commissioning was finished in the middle of last month.

Mary Drury, RWE head of UK Hydro, said: ‘Following a successful construction phase, we are delighted that Glen Noe is now operational.

‘Hydro has proved its longevity in the renewables business and so the commissioning of a further hydro scheme will play a crucial role in enabling Scotland to fulfil and maintain its clean energy future ambition to reach net zero carbon by 2045.

‘RWE now operates 17 hydropower schemes across Scotland, all constructed to ensure that environmental constraints are strictly adhered to.

‘For Glen Noe, this included ensuring nearby nesting golden eagles were not disturbed during construction.’

Find out more at: https:// uk-ireland.rwe.com/ project-proposals/glen-noehydro-power-scheme