Hydroelectricity in the United Kingdom

As of 2018, hydroelectric power stations in the United Kingdom accounted for 1.87 GW of installed electrical generating capacity, being 2.2% of the UK's total generating capacity and 4.2% of UK's renewable energy generating capacity. This includes four conventional hydroelectric power stations and run-of-river schemes for which annual electricity production is approximately 5,000 GWh, being about 1.3% of the UK's total electricity production.[2] There are also pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations providing a further 2.8 GW of installed electrical generating capacity, and contributing up to 4,075 GWh of peak demand electricity annually.[3]

The Dinorwig Power Station lower reservoir, a 1,800 MW pumped-storage hydroelectric scheme, in north Wales, and the largest hydroelectric power station in the UK
Hydroelectricity accounted for 4.2% of electricity generation from renewable sources in the United Kingdom (2018)[1]

The potential for further practical and viable hydroelectricity power stations in the UK is estimated to be in the region of 146 to 248 MW for England and Wales,[4] and up to 2,593 MW for Scotland.[5] However, by the nature of the remote and rugged geographic locations of some of these potential sites, in national parks or other areas of outstanding natural beauty, it is likely that environmental concerns would mean that many of them would be deemed unsuitable, or could not be developed to their full theoretical potential.

Interest in hydropower in the UK rose in the early 2010s due to UK and EU targets for reductions in carbon emissions and the promotion of renewable energy power generation through commercial incentives such as the Renewable Obligation Certificate scheme (ROCs) and feed-in tariffs (FITs). Before such schemes, studies to assess the available hydro resources in the UK had discounted many sites for reasons of poor economic or technological viability, but studies in 2008 and 2010 by the British Hydro Association (BHA) identified a larger number of viable sites, due to improvements in the available technology and the economics of ROCs and FITSs[4][5]. However, during the same period there have been significant reductions in costs of other renewable energy sources such as Offshore Wind and Photovoltaics[6], this has resulted in reduced competitiveness of large scale Hydroelectric schemes in the UK. There are no large scale Hydroelectric scheme planned in the UK as of 2020. However, it is predicted that pumped storage will play an increasingly important role in the UK electricity grid in future years as more intermittent sources of electricity generation come on line.[7]

Schemes up to 50 kW are eligible for FITs, and schemes over 5 MW are eligible for ROCs. Schemes between 50 kW and 5 MW can choose between either. The UK Government's National Renewable Energy Action Plan of July 2010 envisaged between 40 and 50 MW of new hydropower schemes being installed annually up to 2020. The most recent feedback for new hydro schemes is for 2009, and only about 15 MW of new hydropower was installed during that year.[2]

Statistics for UK hydroelectric schemes
  • United Kingdom gross electricity supplied from Hydro between 1920 and 2012 (GWh), including for pumped-storage schemes.[3]
  • United Kingdom annual electricity generation from hydroelectricity between 1990 and 2012 (GW hours), excluding pumped-storage schemes.[1]
  • United Kingdom net installed hydroelectricity capacity between 1990 and 2012 (MW), excluding pumped-storage schemes.[1]

List of UK hydroelectric schemes over 1,000 kW
Name
 Operator
 Location
 Capacity (kW)
 Notes
Clachan Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Argyll, Scotland 40,000
Cruachan Dam Drax Group Argyll, Scotland 400,000 Pumped-storage
Dinorwig Power Station First Hydro Company Gwynedd, Wales 1,728,000 Pumped-storage
Errochty Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Scotland 75,000
Ffestiniog Power Station First Hydro Company Gwynedd, Wales 360,000 Pumped Storage
Glendoe Hydro Scheme SSE Generation Ltd Inverness-shire, Scotland 100,000 600m hydraulic head - largest in the UK
Glenlee Drax Group Scotland 24,000
Glenmoriston Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Highland, Scotland 37,000
Inverawe Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Argyll, Scotland 25,000
Kendoon Drax Group Scotland 24,000
Lochaber Alcan Primary Metals - Europe Highland, Scotland 84,000
Maentwrog Site Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Gwynedd, Wales 30,000
Rannoch Scottish & Southern Energy plc Scotland 44,100
Rheidol Statkraft Ceredigion, Wales 56,000 3 dams: Dinas 13.5MW, Cwm Rheidol 41MW + 1MW
Sloy Scottish & Southern Energy plc Argyll, Scotland 160,000 Work to install pumped storage began in 2012[8]
Tongland Drax Group Scotland 33,000
Tummel Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Scotland 34,000
Aigas Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Inverness-shire, Scotland 20,000
Bonnington Drax Group Scotland 11,000
Carsfad Drax Group Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland 12,000
Cashlie Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Perthshire, Scotland 11,000
Cassley Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Sutherland, Scotland 10,000
Ceannacroc Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Inverness-shire, Scotland 20,000
Culligran Power Station Unit 2 SSE Generation Ltd Inverness-shire, Scotland 17,100
Dinas Power Station Stratkraft Ceredigion, Wales 13,500
Dolgarrog High-Head Power Station Conwy Road Dolgarrog Power Station, Dolgarrog, Nr Conwy, Wales 18,400
Dolgarrog Low-Head Power Station Conwy Road Dolgarrog Power Station, Dolgarrog, Nr Conwy, Wales 14,980
Earlstoun Scottish Power Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland 14,000
Finlarig Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Scotland 16,900
Grudie Bridge Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Scotland 18,600
Invergarry Power Station SSE - Generation Ltd Invergarry, Inverness-shire, Scotland 19,975
Kilmorack Scottish & Southern Energy plc Scotland 20,000
Kinlochleven Hydro Power Station Alcan Primary Metal - Europe Argyll, Scotland 19,500
Livishie Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Inverness-Shire, Scotland 17,000
Mossford Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Inverness-shire, Scotland 18,600
Nant Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Argyll, Scotland 15,000
Orrin Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Ross-shire, Scotland 18,000
Orrin Power Station SSE Generation Ltd Ross-shire, Scotland 18,000
Pitlochry Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Scotland 15,000
Quoich Power Station SSE Generation Ltd Tomdoun, By Loch Garry, Nr Fort Augustus, Inverness-shire, Scotland., Scotland 18,050
Shin Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Sutherland, Scotland 18,620
St Fillans Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Scotland 16,830
Torr Achilty Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc Ross-shire, Scotland 15,000
Achanalt Scottish & Southern Energy plc Ross-shire, Scotland 3,100
Alt na-Lairgie SSE Generation Argyll and Bute, Scotland 6,000
Ardverikie Ardverikie Estates Ltd Inverness-shire, Scotland 1,100
Beeston Weir Novera Energy England 1,676 largest run-of-river scheme in England
Black Rock Npower Renewables Highland, Scotland 3,000
Braevallich Hydro Station Npower Renewables Argyll, Scotland 2,274
Broken Cross Muir Hydro The Scottish Coal Company Ltd Scotland 1,000
Callop Broadland properties Scotland 1,087
Carnoch Npower Renewables Scotland 1,350
Chliostair Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc Scotland 1,320
Chonais SSE Generation Ltd Highland, Scotland 3,500
Cuaich Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Inverness-shire, Scotland 2,500
Cuileig Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Wester Ross, Scotland 3,300
Culligran Comp Set Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Inverness-shire, Scotland 2,000
CWM Rheidol Hydro Dam Stratkraft Ceredigion, Wales 1,000
Dalchonzie Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Scotland 4,000
Deanie Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Highland, Scotland 3,800
Douglas Water Power Station Npower Renewables Argyll, Scotland 3,000
Drumjohn Power Station Drax Group Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland 2,200
East Aberchalder Npower Renewables Inverness-shire, Scotland 3,500
Elan Valley Novera Energy Powys, Wales 3,113
Eredine Hydro Project NPower renewables Argyll and Bute, Scotland 2,500
Falls Of Unich Npower Renewables Angus, Scotland 6,000
Fasnakyle Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Inverness-Shire, Scotland 7,701
Foyers Fall Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Inverness-shire, Scotland 5,036
Foyers Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Inverness-shire, Scotland 300,000 Pumped-storage
Franklaw Hydro at Franklaw Water Treatment United Utilities PLC 1,000
Garrogie Power Station Npower Renewables Inverness-shire, Scotland 2,400
Gaur Scottish & Southern Energy plc Perthshire, Scotland 7,900
Glenn Dubh Hydro Npower Renewables Highland, Scotland 3,000
Inverar Hydro Npower Renewables Perth & Kinross, Scotland 1,100
Inver broom Norgen (Ffestiniog) Ltd Highland, Scotland 3,170
Inverfarigaig GreenPower Inverness-shire, Scotland 4,000
Inverlael Npower Renewables Scotland 1,250
Kerry Falls Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Highland, Scotland 1,250
Kielder Power Station Northumbrian Water Ltd England 5,500 largest conventional hydro in England
Kilmelford Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Argyll, Scotland 2,500
Kingairloch Hydro SSE Generation Ltd Inverness-shire, Scotland 3,500
Lairg Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Sutherland, Scotland 3,500
Lednock Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Scotland 3,000
Little Loch Roag SSE Generation Ltd Scotland 1,000
Llyn Brianne Novera Energy Carmarthenshire, Wales 4,600
Llyn Celyn Novera Energy Wales 4,507
Loch Dubh Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Wester Ross, Scotland 1,200
Loch Eilde Mor Hydro Plan (for Alcan) Highland, Scotland 7,000
Loch Ericht Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. perthshire, Scotland 2,200
Loch Gair Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Argyll, Scotland 6,000
Loch Turret WTW Scottish Water Perth & Kinross, Scotland 1,950
Lochay Compensation Generator SSE Generation Ltd Perthshire, Scotland 2,000
Lochiel Estate Highland Light and Power Ltd Highland, Scotland 1,315
Lubreoch Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Scotland 5,000
Lussa Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Argyll, Scotland 2,400
Maldie Burn Npower Renewables Highland, Scotland 2,000
Mary Tavy Power Station South West Water Ltd Devon, England 2,600
Mucomir Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Highland, Scotland 2,000
Mullardoch Tunnel Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Inverness-shire, Scotland 2,400
Nostie Bridge Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Ross-shire, Scotland 1,300
River E Power Station Npower Renewables Inverness-shire, Scotland 3,000
Siadar wavegen / Npower Renewables Scotland 3,000
Sron Mor Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Argyll, Scotland 5,000
Stonebyres Power Station Drax Group Lanarkshire, Scotland 6,000
Storr Lochs Scottish & Southern Energy plc Isle of Skye, Scotland 2,400
Striven Power Station Scottish & Southern Energy plc. Argyll, Scotland 8,000
Trossachs SSE Generation Ltd Stirlingshire, Scotland 2,500
Urlar Hydro Bolfracks Estate Perth & Kinross, Scotland 1,400
Victoria Falls Station CRF Hydropower Argyll, Scotland 1,120
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See also

Related Lists

Related UK pages

Other related

References
  1. "Department of Energy and Climate Change: Digest of United Kingdom energy statistics (DUKES)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 December 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  2. "Department of Energy and Climate Change: UK use of Hydroelectricity". Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  3. "Department of Energy and Climate Change: Historical electricity data: 1920 to 2012 (xls spreadsheet)". Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  4. "British Hydro association Report 2010" (PDF). Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  5. "British Hydro Association Report 2008" (PDF). Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  6. "Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2018: long-term trends". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  7. Hoy, Thomas (2015). "The Role of Additional PumpedHydro Storage in a Low Carbon UK Grid" (PDF). Strathclyde University.
  8. "Sloy Hydroelectric Power Plant". Retrieved 19 May 2020.

Scottish Hydro Electric

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