SSE’s Coire Glas hydropower project on Loch Lochy has become the first pumped storage scheme in the world to achieve gold certification under the Hydropower Sustainability Standard.
If built, the scheme would be the UK’s largest long-duration energy storage facility, capable of storing about 30GWh of renewable capacity.
SSE said Coire Glas could be operational in the early 2030s, subject to a government support scheme enabling a final investment decision.
An assessment earlier this year found strong sustainability performance in areas including labour and safety standards, governance, and stakeholder engagement.
The project was also praised for environmental and social planning, including water and sediment management, biodiversity and cultural heritage.
Hydropower Sustainability Alliance executive director João Costa said: “Pumped storage is essential to a resilient, renewable-powered grid, and Coire Glas is showing that large-scale projects can be designed with sustainability built in from the beginning.”
Coire Glas project director Mike Seaton said gold certification reflected the dedication of the team and contractors and demonstrated the project’s potential role in UK and Scottish net-zero targets.
SSE hydro sustainability partner Andrew Jacobs said the certification process highlighted how the project could harness renewable energy with sustainability at its core.