Glendoe Hydro Scheme
Encyclopedia
The Glendoe Hydro Scheme for the generation
of hydro-electric
power is located near Fort Augustus
, above Loch Ness
in the Highlands
of Scotland
.
The scheme is operated by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and was opened on 29 June 2009 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
(the drop from the reservoir to the turbine) is the highest of any hydro electric scheme in the United Kingdom
, and is thus ideally suited to generating large amounts of energy from the stored water in the reservoir
. Glendoe's turbine is capable of generating up to 100 MW, and coupled with the high rainfall in the area of around 2,000mm per year guarantees a high percentage output at full capacity.
It is the largest of Scotland's recent civil engineering projects, with Hochtief
as the design and build contractor. The scheme is predicted to produce about 180 GWh of electricity per year, enough to provide approximately 5% of the electricity consumption of the city of Glasgow.
The immediate catchment of 15 km² is supplemented by a further 60 km² connected to the scheme by an underground network of pipes and tunnels, and this is fed into the reservoir on the River Tarff
. The dam, a 905 metre-long rock-filled embankment reaching a height of 35 metres above the valley floor, is hidden from view from all current houses and public roads in the area.
The scheme is made up of a large network of tunnels, including an 8.6 km tunnel bringing water to the reservoir and 8 km of larger tunnels that will carry the water to the turbines and out into Loch Ness. An access tunnel of 1.3 km in length services the turbine and power station cavern.
The power station itself, 2 km from Loch Ness and containing the turbine and generator units, is housed in a large cavern a quarter of a kilometre below the hillside, adjacent to a smaller cavern containing the main transformer.
SSE have announced that energy generation at the scheme will be able to recommence in the first half of 2012.
Electricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
of hydro-electric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
power is located near Fort Augustus
Fort Augustus
Fort Augustus is a settlement in the Scottish Highlands, at the south west end of Loch Ness. The village has a population of around 646 ; its economy is heavily reliant on tourism....
, above Loch Ness
Loch Ness
Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. Its surface is above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie"...
in the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The scheme is operated by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and was opened on 29 June 2009 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
Scheme details
Glendoe's 600 m headHydraulic head
Hydraulic head or piezometric head is a specific measurement of water pressure above a geodetic datum. It is usually measured as a water surface elevation, expressed in units of length, at the entrance of a piezometer...
(the drop from the reservoir to the turbine) is the highest of any hydro electric scheme in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and is thus ideally suited to generating large amounts of energy from the stored water in the reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
. Glendoe's turbine is capable of generating up to 100 MW, and coupled with the high rainfall in the area of around 2,000mm per year guarantees a high percentage output at full capacity.
It is the largest of Scotland's recent civil engineering projects, with Hochtief
Hochtief
Hochtief Aktiengesellschaft is Germany's largest construction company. It is based in Essen but operates globally, ranking as the top general builder in the United States through its Turner Corporation subsidiary, and in Australia through the Leighton Group. In 2010 it employed more than 70,000...
as the design and build contractor. The scheme is predicted to produce about 180 GWh of electricity per year, enough to provide approximately 5% of the electricity consumption of the city of Glasgow.
The immediate catchment of 15 km² is supplemented by a further 60 km² connected to the scheme by an underground network of pipes and tunnels, and this is fed into the reservoir on the River Tarff
River Tarff, Fort Augustus
The River Tarff is a river in Inverness-shire in the Scottish Highlands. It rises between the hills of Gairbeinn and Geal Charn and flows northwards then southwestwards and finally north-northwestwards into the Great Glen where it enters Loch Ness at Fort Augustus. The middle and lower reaches of...
. The dam, a 905 metre-long rock-filled embankment reaching a height of 35 metres above the valley floor, is hidden from view from all current houses and public roads in the area.
The scheme is made up of a large network of tunnels, including an 8.6 km tunnel bringing water to the reservoir and 8 km of larger tunnels that will carry the water to the turbines and out into Loch Ness. An access tunnel of 1.3 km in length services the turbine and power station cavern.
The power station itself, 2 km from Loch Ness and containing the turbine and generator units, is housed in a large cavern a quarter of a kilometre below the hillside, adjacent to a smaller cavern containing the main transformer.
Station shutdown
In August 2009 the station was shut down and the power tunnel drained because of internal rock falls near the head of the tunnel. Although the equipment in the power station has been unaffected, Glendoe will not be able to generate power until repairs have been made. It is unclear what damage has been caused and SSE have reported that electricity generation is unlikely to proceed until well into 2012. The repairs will involve construction of a bypass tunnel and a downstream access tunnel. The contract for the repair work has been awarded to BAM Nuttall. SSE are reported to be seeking damages of up to £30 million from Hochtief, who constructed the original tunnel.SSE have announced that energy generation at the scheme will be able to recommence in the first half of 2012.