A turbine installation has marked a major milestone at a £3.4 million hydro energy scheme at a Scottish Water site in Stirlingshire.
The turbine will be powered by raw water flowing through it before entering the water treatment works at Carron Valley. It is in the process of being connected in to the new pipework that has been laid as part of the scheme.
Once in operation, it is expected to generate around 0.56 GWh of renewable energy annually, meeting 16% of the site’s power needs.
Developed by Scottish Water’s commercial subsidiary Scottish Water Horizons and delivered by contractor Emtec Energy, the hydro scheme will harness the site’s existing water flows to provide a ‘reliable, low-maintenance’ source of energy, while delivering financial and environmental benefits.
Scottish Water Horizons project manager Patrick Stakim said, “This is a really exciting milestone for the project and it is great to see the various elements of work that have been done so far start to come together now. This is the third hydro scheme that we have delivered at a Scottish Water site, and once it is up and running in the new year, the green energy that is generated here at Carron Valley will help cut both the costs of operating the water treatment works and the amount of carbon produced as part of that essential process which is great news.”
Scottish Water operations team lead for the west area, Stephen Gill, added, “Seeing the turbine installed marks an important step for the site. We look forward to the benefits it will bring in cutting energy costs, reducing our carbon footprint, and making the Carron Valley treatment site more resilient and sustainable for the future.”
