OFGEM APPROVES FIRST HYDROPOWER PROJECTS IN 40 YEARS

The energy regulator Ofgem has given provisional approval for 16 long-duration electricity storage projects across Great Britain, including three pumped storage hydroelectric power stations in Scotland. The three hydropower sites are Statera Energy's Loch Kemp, which would draw water from Loch Ness; SSE's Coire Glas at Loch Lochy between Fort William and Inverness; and Gilkes Energy's Earba, designated as the UK's largest pumped storage hydro facility. These projects represent the first new hydropower construction in more than 40 years, with the last facility, the Dinorwig plant in north Wales, completed in 1984. The remaining 13 projects approved use alternative storage technologies including compressed air, lithium-ion batteries and vanadium redox flow batteries.

The 16 facilities are distributed across England, Scotland and Wales and are intended to balance electricity supply and demand as renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power generate variable output. Long-duration storage projects are defined as facilities capable of storing and releasing electricity for eight hours or more. Energy minister Michael Shanks stated the approvals represent progress in reducing Great Britain's reliance on energy imports and volatile fossil fuel markets. Akshay Kaul, director general for infrastructure at Ofgem, said the projects demonstrate a diverse range of storage technologies and support renewable energy development and energy security.