Scottish Water has cunning plan for green power at Whiteadder
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
Scottish Water has begun construction of a “first of its type in Europe” hydro power generation scheme its Whiteadder Reservoir.
The £3m scheme will syphon water over the reservoir dam wall to drive a 199kW hydro turbine. It will, according to the water company, generate green electricity to offset 30% of rather power used by one of East Lothian’s largest pumping stations, dubbed Hungry Snout which pumps some 32Ml of water per day to Castle Moffat Water Treatment Works.
“The scheme will enable the company to generate green energy while accurately controlling the level of the reservoir during seasonal fluctuations in weather without the need for major civil-engineering works,” said Scottish Water.
Hydro Energy Senior Project Manager at Scottish Water Horizons, Neil Beaumont, explained that fluctuating seasonal conditions in Scotland, mean the flows at Whiteadder Reservoir vary between 150-1200 litres a second: “So it was important that we could measure and control the reservoir levels accurately as its primary function is to provide water to customers.
“In collaboration with renewable energy experts AECOM and Ossberger, we selected equipment that could accurately measure water levels even during adverse weather conditions using smart controls and sensors which will ensure we are not taking too much water from the reservoir.”
The hydro scheme is being delivered by renewable energy specialist, Emtec Energy. It will generate 0.82GWh of renewable energy a year.
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