Glendoe Hydro scheme

It’s been half a century since any large scale conventional hydro project has been built on Scottish soil. But then came Glendoe. 

Situated in the hills above Loch Ness, the £140m Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) scheme is the biggest hydro facility since the 75MW Erochty station opened in Perthshire in 1957.

When complete, Glendoe’s mighty turbine will be capable of producing 100MW of energy - enough to power every home in a city the size of Glasgow.

Glendoe is the sort of project packed with landmark moments, such as the completion of five mile headrace tunnel. Shouldering most of this work was the tunnel boring machined – christened Eliza Jane by school children from nearby Fort Augustus.

She began her epic journey through the Monadliath Mountains in September 2006 emerging 18 months later having finished the job well ahead of schedule.

Eliza Jane’s work was completed early in 2007 when she was dismantled ready to be shipped back to Germany.

The current focus of activity at Glendoe is lining the headrace tunnel. This is a complex task where 250m of concrete and 85m of steel lining is being put in place to provide a seal between the power cavern and the headrace tunnel and which needs to be tough enough to withstand the huge pressure of water from the reservoir.

Work has also been concentrating on completing the embankment for the dam although atrocious weather conditions meant that work was put on hold for a few weeks.

Not only will Glendoe have the highest head of any hydro station in the UK – allowing it to generate more energy per cubic metre of water than any other facility in the country – it will also be the most efficient hydro electric scheme using water as its fuel and avoiding the production of carbon dioxide, a gas associated with global warming.

Yet for all the impressive statistics, Glendoe will, for the most part, be largely hidden from view. The only part of the scheme to be seen from any public road will be a water outlet on the shore of Loch Ness and even this is being built to blend in with the natural landscape.

And throughout the scheme SSE has worked closely with a number if agencies including Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to ensure local wildlife, flora and fauna continue to enjoy protection.

To find out more about Glendoe visit www.glendoe.co.uk. The site also has a webcam where you can view the very latest developments.

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