Hydroelectricity in the United Kingdom

As of 2018^[update], 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 four 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]^[4]

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,^[5] and up to 2,593 MW for Scotland.^[6]

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.^[5]^[6] However, during the same period there have been significant reductions in costs of other renewable energy sources such as Offshore Wind and Photovoltaics,^[7] 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.^[8]

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 megawatt

Name	Operator	Location	Capacity (kW)	Notes
Clachan^[9]	SSE Renewables	Argyll, Scotland	40,000
Cruachan Dam^[4]	Drax Group	Argyll, Scotland	440,000	Pumped-storage
Dinorwig Power Station^[4]	First Hydro Company	Gwynedd, Wales	1,728,000	Pumped-storage
Errochty^[10]	SSE Renewables	Scotland	75,000
Ffestiniog Power Station^[4]	First Hydro Company	Gwynedd, Wales	360,000	Pumped Storage
Glendoe Hydro Scheme^[11]	SSE Renewables	Inverness-shire, Scotland	100,000	600 m hydraulic head (largest in the UK)
Glenlee	Drax Group	Scotland	24,000
Glenmoriston^[12]	SSE Renewables	Highland, Scotland	37,000
Inverawe^[13]	SSE Renewables	Argyll, Scotland	25,000
Kendoon	Drax Group	Scotland	24,000
Lochaber	Alcan Primary Metals - Europe	Highland, Scotland	84,000
Maentwrog	Nuclear Decommissioning Authority	Gwynedd, Wales	30,000
Rannoch^[10]	SSE Renewables	Scotland	48,000
Rheidol	Statkraft	Ceredigion, Wales	56,000	3 dams: Dinas 13.5 MW, Cwm Rheidol 41 MW + 1 MW
Sloy^[9]	SSE Renewables	Argyll, Scotland	160,000	Plans for conversion to pumped storage unveiled in May 2023^[14]
Tongland	Drax Group	Scotland	33,000
Tummel^[10]	SSE Renewables	Scotland	34,000
Aigas^[15]	SSE Renewables	Inverness-shire, Scotland	20,000
Bonnington	Drax Group	Scotland	11,000
Carsfad	Drax Group	Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland	12,000
Cashlie^[16]	SSE Renewables	Perthshire, Scotland	11,000
Cassley^[17]	SSE Renewables	Sutherland, Scotland	10,000
Ceannacroc Power Station^[12]	SSE Renewables	Inverness-shire, Scotland	20,000
Culligran Unit 2^[15]	SSE Renewables	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^[16]	SSE Renewables	Scotland	16,900
Grudie Bridge^[18]	SSE Renewables	Scotland	18,600
Invergarry^[12]	SSE Renewables	Invergarry, Inverness-shire, Scotland	19,975
Kilmorack^[15]	SSE Renewables	Scotland	20,000
Kinlochleven Hydro Power Station	Alcan Primary Metal - Europe	Argyll, Scotland	19,500
Livishie^[12]	SSE Renewables	Inverness-Shire, Scotland	17,000
Mossford^[18]	SSE Renewables	Inverness-shire, Scotland	18,600
Nant^[13]	SSE Renewables	Argyll, Scotland	15,000
Orrin^[18]	SSE Renewables	Ross-shire, Scotland	18,000
Pitlochry^[10]	SSE Renewables	Scotland	15,000
Quoich^[12]	SSE Renewables	Tomdoun, By Loch Garry, Nr Fort Augustus, Inverness-shire, Scotland., Scotland	22,000
Shin^[17]	SSE Renewables	Sutherland, Scotland	18,620
St Fillans^[16]	SSE Renewables	Scotland	16,830
Torr Achilty^[18]	SSE Renewables	Ross-shire, Scotland	15,000
Achanalt^[18]	SSE Renewables	Ross-shire, Scotland	3,100
Allt na Lairige^[9]	SSE Renewables	Argyll and Bute, Scotland	6,000
Ardverikie	Ardverikie Estates Ltd	Inverness-shire, Scotland	1,100
Beeston Weir	Novera Energy	Nottinghamshire, 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	SSE Renewables	Harris, Hebrides, Scotland	1,320
Chonais	SSE Renewables	Highland, Scotland	3,500
Cuaich^[10]	SSE Renewables	Inverness-shire, Scotland	2,500
Cuileig Power Station	SSE Renewables	Wester Ross, Scotland	3,300
Culligran Comp Set	SSE Renewables	Inverness-shire, Scotland	2,000
CWM Rheidol Hydro Dam	Stratkraft	Ceredigion, Wales	1,000
Dalchonzie^[16]	SSE Renewables	Scotland	4,000
Deanie^[15]	SSE Renewables	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^[15]	SSE Renewables	Inverness-Shire, Scotland	7,701
Foyers Falls	SSE Renewables	Inverness-shire, Scotland	5,036
Foyers^[4]	SSE Renewables	Inverness-shire, Scotland	300,000	Pumped-storage
Franklaw Hydro at Franklaw Water Treatment	United Utilities PLC	Perth & Kinross, Scotland	1,000
Garrogie Power Station	Npower Renewables	Inverness-shire, Scotland	2,400
Gaur^[10]	SSE Renewables	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	SSE Renewables	Highland, Scotland	1,250
Kielder Power Station	Northumbrian Water Ltd	England	5,500	largest conventional hydro in England
Kilmelfort^[13]	SSE Renewables	Argyll, Scotland	2,500
Kingairloch Hydro	SSE Renewables	Inverness-shire, Scotland	3,500
Lairg^[17]	SSE Renewables	Sutherland, Scotland	3,500
Lednock^[16]	SSE Renewables	Scotland	3,000
Lochay^[16]	SSE Renewables	Scotland	47,000
Little Loch Roag	SSE Renewables	Scotland	1,000
Llyn Brianne	Novera Energy	Carmarthenshire, Wales	4,600
Llyn Celyn	Novera Energy	Wales	4,507
Loch Dubh	SSE Renewables	Wester Ross, Scotland	1,200
Loch Eilde Mor	Hydro Plan (for Alcan)	Highland, Scotland	7,000
Loch Ericht Power Station	SSE Renewables	perthshire, Scotland	2,200
Loch Gair^[13]	SSE Renewables	Argyll, Scotland	6,000
Loch Turret WTW	Scottish Water	Perth & Kinross, Scotland	1,950
Lochay Compensation Generator	SSE Renewables	Perthshire, Scotland	2,000
Lochiel Estate	Highland Light and Power Ltd	Highland, Scotland	1,315
Lubreoch^[16]	SSE Renewables	Scotland	5,000
Lussa^[13]	SSE Renewables	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^[19]	SSE Renewables	Highland, Scotland	2,000
Mullardoch Tunnel^[15]	SSE Renewables	Inverness-shire, Scotland	2,400
Nostie Bridge^[20]	SSE Renewables	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^[9]	SSE Renewables	Argyll, Scotland	5,000
Stonebyres Power Station	Drax Group	Lanarkshire, Scotland	6,000
Storr Lochs	SSE Renewables	Isle of Skye, Scotland	2,400
Striven^[13]	SSE Renewables	Argyll, Scotland	8,000
Trossachs	SSE Renewables	Stirlingshire, Scotland	2,500
Urlar Hydro	Bolfracks Estate	Perth & Kinross, Scotland	1,400
Victoria Falls Station	CRF Hydropower	Argyll, Scotland	1,120
Wimett Station	Highland Light & Power	Devon, England	1,430

References

Bibliography

Payne, Peter L. (1988). The Hydro. Aberdeen University Press. ISBN 978-0-08-036584-8.

External links

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