(photo courtesy ANDRITZ)SSE Renewables is hosting a public consultation to provide the local community and interested stakeholders with information about the proposed redevelopment of the 152.5 MW Sloy Power Station into a pumped hydro storage facility.
SSE Renewables announced plans in May 2023 to convert the Sloy Power Station into a pumped hydro storage facility, to further support the country’s net zero future. The company said this plan is intended to bolster energy security and help provide the large-scale and flexible renewable energy back-up needed in a future UK net zero power system.
Sloy is the largest conventional hydropower station in SSE Renewables’ existing hydro fleet. The power station is fed from Loch Sloy, just 4 km away but over 277 m higher than the power station. An adapted pumped storage scheme would take excess energy from the electricity grid and use it to pump water from Loch Lomond to the upper Loch Sloy, where it would be stored before being released to power the grid when wind output is low and customer demand is high.
“We’re proposing to convert the existing hydro-electric scheme at Sloy into a pumped storage scheme, by introducing new pumps located in the grounds of the iconic power station at Inveruglas on the banks of Loch Lomond. Exhibitions like this are a very important part of the development process for us. We want to involve those that live and work in the area from an early stage and give them ample opportunity to raise questions, ideas, concerns or comments that can be considered as part of the process,” said Georgina Wardrop, SSE Renewables’ Head of Hydro Stakeholder Engagement.
The converted Sloy scheme will be capable of delivering up to 25 GWh of long-duration electricity storage capacity. It could provide firm, flexible renewable energy for up to 160 hours non-stop, enough to power around 90,000 homes for up to one week.
SSE owns and operates almost 1.5 GW of flexible hydropower and pumped storage capacity at sites across Scotland that produces over 3 TWh of renewable energy annually.
