The Scottish Government has given consent for SSE’s Renewables revised Coire Glas pumped storage scheme in Lochaber in the Scottish Highlands.
The project was initially approved seven years ago for a capacity of 600MW, but revised plans for the scheme with a new a capacity of up to 1.5GW were submitted back in April 2018. The Government has now approved these revisions, SSE Renewables said, but the scheme still has to prove its commercial worth.
“We’re very pleased with the decision by the Scottish government to consent the revised Coire Glas project, recognising the long established and proven benefits pumped storage can bring to the UK’s energy system on the journey to net zero,” said SSE Renewables director of capital projects Paul Cooley. “There are still commercial hurdles to overcome for new pumped storage as to where it fits within the current market framework, and we are actively exploring potential solutions.
“In the meantime, Coire Glas remains an important development option for SSE Renewables and receiving consent is a significant step forward for the project.”
