Hydro power innovation at Scottish Power to cut huge electricity bill

Scotland’s water company will generate its own electricity through an extension of its hydro power scheme, according to reports.

Scottish Water will capture energy from supply pipes in a £20 million investment aimed primarily at cutting costs and protecting water treatment plants during power failures.

The technology harnesses the force of falling water which can then be converted into electricity and sold back to the National Grid.

Scottish Water estimates it will save 10% of its current costs for treating water through the scheme, a huge discount given that the firm accounts for 1% of Scotland’s entire energy consumption.

Ian McMillan, who is leading the building programme, said: “This is a key part of our Climate Change Strategy and will substantially reduce our carbon footprint.

“We’re very excited about technology that offers the dual benefits of improved service for our customers and reduced operating costs.

“This is nothing new - our asset base is already generating 5% of our power requirements across Scotland and the investment will double that output.

“We’ve identified a number of potential sites and these will be whittled down to the best 20 or so small hydro schemes.

More than 30 sites have been identified that could power the water treatment process in areas such as Lanarkshire, the Borders, Stirlingshire, Angus and Fife.