ILI Group has started the initial planning phase for the 1500MW Balliemeanoch pumped storage hydro (PSH) project at Loch Awe, near Dalmally in Argyll & Bute, in Scotland.
The company said the development would create a new ‘head pond’ in the hills above Loch Awe capable of holding 58 million cubic metres of water when full.
It would be ILI’s third and largest PSH project.
The other projects include Red John (pictured) at Loch Ness, which was awarded planning consent from Scottish Ministers in June Last year, and Corrievarkie at Loch Ericht for which they aim to submit a Section 36 planning application in August.
ILI Group chief executive Mark Wilson said: “With the announcement from the Scottish Crown of new seabed leases for offshore wind and the UK Government’s planned 40GW to come on stream by 2030, energy storage projects like Balliemeanoch become increasingly important.
“Long-duration energy storage, storage over 4hrs in particular, is crucial to the UK’s net zero ambitions.
“Without projects such as Balliemeanoch the renewable generation capacity in the country will soon hit a ‘Green Glass Ceiling’ whereby adding more ‘variable’ renewable generation actually threatens grid stability and security of supply in our grid network.
“We have recently committed to the San Jose Declaration that was agreed by the World Hydro Congress last year and presented at COP26. We are committed to ensuring that all our hydro projects have sustainability and environmental and social governance at their core.
“We are currently awaiting the outcome of the UK government’s Call for Evidence on long-duration storage.
“Having the necessary market mechanism in place will enable the current PSH pipeline of over 5GW to be built and keep the country on target for achieving net zero.
“We believe a cap and floor mechanism, similar to what is in place for interconnectors between the UK to Europe, will get all these nationally significant infrastructure projects moving, but time is critical.”