Residents invited to Glen Earrach Energy’s community engagement event in Balnain, Scotland.
Event taking place from 16:30 to 21:30 at Balnain Hall on Wednesday 14 August 2024 and registration is live here.
GEE will be inviting views on how a Community Benefit Fund could benefit the local area.
Balnain Scotland: Friday 02 August 2024 – Residents in and around Balnain, Drumnadrochit, and Loch Ness have been invited to the latest community engagement event organised by Glen Earrach Energy, developers of the UK’s largest and most efficient pumped storage hydro (PSH) project at Balmacaan Estate, Scotland.
The local community will have the opportunity to find out more information about the project and share their views on the project plans and how a Community Benefit Fund, committed to by GEE at the last early engagement event in May 2024, could benefit the local area.
The 2GW scheme was first submitted to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit for scoping in April 2024. With a substantial height difference exceeding 480 metres between the upper and lower lochs, it will be capable of moving less water and generating more energy and electricity storage than all other PSH projects on Loch Ness combined.
GEE Director, Roderick MacLeod, said:
“We're excited to deepen our engagement with the local community before the statutory consultation begins later this year.
“Our goal is to maximise the project's benefits, and we believe larger-scale, water-efficient projects can deliver greater value for residents, the local economy and environment, while minimising impact. We are inviting residents to share their vision for a Community Benefit Fund that best meets the community’s needs at our upcoming event.”
Since the first early community engagement event in May 2024, GEE has:
Appointed international hydropower expert Martin Lacey to its project delivery team. His expertise in project execution and management, including successful projects in Georgia and China, will be instrumental in driving forward the development of GEE’s flagship PSH project in Scotland.
Met with the newly appointed Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray MP, at a British Hydropower Association PSH event where he outlined the UK government’s commitment to clean energy and the vital role of PSH in achieving net zero targets.
Outlined its thoughts on how the government can use its unique capacity to shape the long-duration electricity storage market, steering it away from vested interests and ensuring it benefits consumers through lower electricity costs, taxpayers through tax revenues from PSH operations, communities through local benefit funds, and the environment by significantly reducing carbon emissions and by reducing the amount of renewables power required to reach net zero.
In response to the Scotland Secretary’s keynote speech at the BHA PSH event, in which he committed the new government to invest in long term energy storage, GEE Director Roderick MacLeod said:
“The Secretary of State’s reaffirmation of the 2030 target for cheap, clean power generation, and his acknowledgment of pumped storage hydro’s pivotal role in Scotland’s green energy leadership, is extremely encouraging. His recognition of the need for a robust policy framework to unlock PSH’s potential in the UK is essential. We look forward to working closely with the UK government to develop a cap and floor mechanism that optimises grid benefits, consumer value, the environment, and community impact."