ILI Group has kicked off the initial planning phase for the 600MW Corrievarkie pumped storage hydro project in the Scottish Highlands.
The new project at Loch Ericht, Dalwhinnie, will be able to supply power for up to 24 hours, enough to power 1.4 million homes, making it one of the largest schemes in Scotland.
The project will create a new ‘head pond’ in the hills above ‘Loch Ericht’ which will hold 22 million cubic metres of water when full.
Chief executive Mark Wilson said the scheme will help offset over 83 million tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime, if built.
It will also help “further deployment of renewable energy and reducing reliance on fossil fuel generators”, he added.
“It’s hard to overstate the importance of long-duration storage projects like these to the UK, as we see the increase in the effects of climate change across the world. The recent IPCC report on climate change makes for depressing reading and is another wake-up call to world leaders that further steps need to be taken now to avert disaster,” he said.
“The UK Government has recognised the need for action releasing the Smart systems and flexibility plan 2021, alongside the Call for evidence for long duration storage last month in which we are fully participating.
“There is currently a pipeline of over 5GW of pumped storage in the UK, it would be an outstanding statement of intent, if in the year of COP26 the UK Government put the market mechanisms in place to kick start these projects”