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The Kingairloch Hydroelectric Scheme is located in the Morvern Peninsula some 30 kilometres south west of Fort William and is one of a number of projects promoted by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) in support of UK commitments to increase the proportion of electricity generated by way of renewable sources.
The 3.5 Megawatt storage scheme utilises an existing large reservoir and supplements the natural catchment of the reservoir by diversions from four burns. The hydroelectric scheme involved the:
- Flooding / realignment of an existing single track public road
- Laying of approximately 6km of buried pipelines
- Construction of a small power station and an overhead 33kV line which connects the power station to the national grid
Kingairloch Hydroelectric Scheme EIA
In 2001, ASH design + assessment was commissioned as project environmental advisors to SSE. ASH managed the environmental impact assessment for the hydroelectric scheme and co-ordinated inputs from a number of specialist sub consultants including ecologists, archaeologists, fisheries consultants and architects.
ASH worked closely with SSE from the outset to ensure that the assessment findings were fed into the development of the hydroelectric scheme design, to minimise adverse environmental impacts whilst maintaining scheme engineering and financial viability.
The Environmental Statement for the Kingairloch Hydroelectric Scheme was published in early 2002 and consent was granted by Scottish Ministers in early 2003. ASH was retained by SSE to advise them during the implementation of the hydroelectric scheme which was completed in 2004.
