AROUND 1,180 construction jobs could be created in Scotland through SSE’s proposed Coire Glas pumped storage hydro project in the Highlands, an independent economic study has revealed.
The research, by BIGGAR Economics, estimates that a total of around 2,880 jobs would be created at the project’s peak – resulting in around £1.94 billion being spent on UK businesses, generating £1.5 billion in economic value for the UK.
In Scotland alone, the study estimates that the project will deliver £1.35 billion in expenditure with firms in the country and generate £656 million in economic value. The Highlands would see 460 of these jobs, with £635 million being spent on local businesses in the region.
If approved, the £3 billion project will see the build of a large-scale storage hydroelectric scheme at Loch Lochy – which sits between Fort William and Inverness. The scheme would be the first of its kind to be built in the UK in over four decades.
Once operational, BiGGAR Economics says Coire Glas could support 60 long-term UK jobs annually during its decades-long operating life, generating £7 million in economic value for the UK each year.
Stephen Wheeler, SSE Renewables MD, said,“Coire Glas has the potential to be one of the most important infrastructure projects built in the UK in a generation, delivering major economic benefits while strengthening the country’s energy security. This study demonstrates the scale of that opportunity, with the potential to generate £1.5 billion of economic value across the UK, support almost 3,000 construction jobs at peak and create significant opportunities for Scottish and British businesses throughout the supply chain.
“Unlocking that opportunity now depends on securing an investable outcome through Ofgem’s Long Duration Electricity Storage framework. A number of detailed arrangements need to be resolved to secure an investable outcome so a project of this scale and complexity can progress. If that can be achieved, Coire Glas could deliver decades of benefits for workers, consumers, communities and the wider economy, during construction and throughout its operating life.”
SSE has already invested more than £100 million in developing Coire Glas, including site investigations and a 1.2km exploratory tunnel to inform the final design.
In June 2026, Ofgem included Coire Glas as one of 16 LDES projects in its ‘Minded-to-Decision’ list for receipt of cap and floor investment support. SSE continues to engage with Ofgem’s process, with a ‘significant’ number of points of detail needing to be resolved for the project to progress.
