Call to think small on hydro-power

ENERGY and environmental experts last night called for further investment in small hydro-electric schemes as Scotland's first large project in the sector in 50 years neared completion.

The Glendoe project in the Highlands reached a vital stage yesterday, when a 220-metre long boring machine completed a five-mile tunnel workers began digging 15 months ago.

The 140 million project will produce enough energy to power the equivalent number of homes as in Glasgow when completed later this year. However, while campaigners have lauded the scheme's environmental credentials, they believe the future lies in "micro" projects which have less impact than most developments of Glendoe's scale.

Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said the Glendoe project, near Fort William, had shown that it was possible to beat the government's renewable energy targets.

But he added: "This is quite likely to be the last big project in Scotland. Those sites that remain are environmentally quite sensitive. There's lots of potential in projects of sub-20 megawatts, a fifth of Glendoe.

"It's a bit more intensive a management process to identify and make use of small sites, but the potential is that over the next ten to 15 years, you could see the equivalent of two to three Glendoes (in small sites]."

Jason Ormiston, chief executive of the Scottish Renewables Forum, said: "Farmers, communities and rural economies will perhaps see the potential of the hydro sector for their own business, or protecting the status of a community on a remote outpost. Opportunities for larger projects aren't there, really."

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Scottish Wildlife Trust said that although the scope for new large-scale hydro projects was likely to be "limited", there was potential in upland areas for smaller schemes which "together could make a real contribution to moving Scotland towards a clean energy future".

Micro projects include those on Eigg, which is set to become powered wholly by renewables following a community buyout.

The calls for more micro projects come as the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland prepares to report to the Scottish Government on the place hydro-power has in the country's future energy provision.

The forum, which includes government ministers and industry representatives such as Scottish and Southern Energy, ScottishPower, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Renewables Forum and the STUC, will look at economics, potential, environmental issues and grid connections.

Although it is likely the forum will produce recommendations centred around micro schemes in its conclusions, expected this summer, there is still a chance it may give some credence to larger projects. Such initiatives can be welcomed because of their stability.