Estate owner Eishken has taken the wraps off plans for a pumped storage facility of up to 300MW on the Isle of Lewis capable of powering up to 200,000 homes.
Eishken’s decision to build the facility close to its planned 162MW Muaitheabhal wind farm on the island, located off north-west Scotland, was first reported exclusively in the subscriber-only reNEWS in June.
It expects to seek consent for the scheme “later this year” and has hired engineering consultancy AECOM as a technical advisor.
Eishken said the facility, which will mainly store electricity generated by wind farms, will increase to 80% from 40% the utilization of an export-import power cable being installed by the National Grid. Known as the Western Isles link, the cable will connect the Outer Hebrides with the Scottish mainland.
“There are very few PSH schemes throughout the UK and what we are proposing is particularly innovative given the use of the sea as the lower reservoir,” Eishken’s Nick Oppenheim said.
“This scheme will not only materially enhance the benefits to be derived from the Western Isles link but will make a material difference in the supply of energy to the mainland. It will also be a key element in the Scotland’s renewable energy armoury.”
Image: The Glyn Rhonwy pumped storage facility in Wales (QBC)
