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Hydro electric scheme approved
14/04/2008
A hydro electric scheme in Perthshire capable of powering around 1,000 homes was approved today by Ministers.
The 1.4 Megawatt Innerhadden Burn scheme will be two kilometres south east of Kinloch Rannoch.
Energy Minister Jim Mather said:
"Scotland has a vast array of potentially cheap, renewable energy sources. While this scheme is relatively small, it will be able to meet the demand of around 1,000 homes.
"We have the skills and resources to become the green energy capital of Europe and we are investing in the whole renewables mix - in onshore and offshore wind, hydro, tidal, wave, biomass, and clean coal including carbon capture technology.
"I want to ensure we continue to exploit Scotland's massive renewables potential. Meanwhile, provided schemes operate in harmony with the environment, we will support further hydro development - large or small - to help tackle climate change and contribute to sustainable economic growth."
The Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS) Hydro Sub-Group is currently investigating the barriers to and opportunities for further hydro development.
ENERGY STATISTICS
Any proposal to build and operate generating stations wholly or mainly driven by water (such as hydroelectric, wave or tidal generating stations) in excess of 1 Megawatt requires the consent of Scottish Ministers under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.
The Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit is currently processing 36 renewable project applications - 28 wind farm and eight hydro projects. Current renewable applications to Ministers amount to 4 Gigawatts, which, in line with processes for environmental assessment, public consultation and where appropriate public local inquiry, are all at various stages of the consents process and still to be determined.
One Gigawatt of renewable capacity is under construction.
The Energy Consents Unit has also provided pre-application scoping opinions for a further 2 Gigawatts of potential renewable development.
To give a scale of the potential energy quantities involved, 7 Gigawatts is well over twice the current installed renewables capacity of 2.75 Gigawatts and would be more than enough to power all of Scotland's homes. Installed nuclear capacity in Scotland is 2.4 Gigawatts.
Twelve energy projects have now been determined by this Scottish Government. This includes consent for Scotland's second largest wind farm in Dumfries and Galloway, and Scotland's third largest wind farm in Perthshire.
In Scotland between 2005 and 2006:
- Electricity generated by renewable sources (apart from hydro natural flow) increased by 46 per cent
- In 2006, Scotland could have supplied 92.5 per cent of its electricity needs from non-nuclear sources
- As a result of unplanned outages, nuclear's share of generation fell from 38 per cent to 26 per cent in Scotland
- Continuation of the rate of growth in these other renewables would result in achievement of the Scottish Government's renewable electricity targets of 31 per cent of electricity demand by 2011 and 50 per cent by 2020
In December 2005, Innerhadden Hydro Ltd applied for consent to construct and operate a run of river hydro electric station on the Innerhadden Burn.
The proposals have been subject to wide consultation. Following this, Perth and Kinross Council, SNH and SEPA have supported the proposal subject to conditions