European energy giant hails Scottish hydro 'renaissance'

Iain Robertson, head of Statkraft Scotland, the new owner of Loch na Cathrach, formerly Red John, responded to The Herald’s questions on its plans.

How important will energy storage be in future?

As Europe’s largest renewable energy producer with a longstanding presence in the UK, we are committed to developing a range of clean energy sources. These renewables need to be coupled with critical storage infrastructure, like batteries and PSH, to ensure the delivery of a carbon-free and reliable electricity supply, when wind and solar farms aren’t generating power.

Iain Robertson address the community (Image: Trevor Martin) Loch na Cathrach will capture excess energy, and store it until needed, helping provide security of supply as Great Britain’s electricity network shifts away from fossil fuels, particularly expensive imported gas. We’re going to see PSH - a technology that has existed in Scotland for many decades - play an increasing role in balancing the grid and supporting the integration of renewables, in the years ahead.

How do you utilise energy storage now and how will you in future?

The transition from large fossil-fuel plants to renewable energy presents a need for solutions that can deliver flexibility, grid stability, increase the amount of renewable energy delivered on the grid network, and reduce costs for consumers.

READ MORE:

• Part One: Scotland powers towards new hydro energy revolution
• Part Two: Entrepreneur sells £1bn Scottish hydro plan to energy giant
• Part Three: Hidden cost of building Scotland's new energy powerhouses
• All you need to know about the new hydro energy revolution
• Questions raised over Scotland's new energy storage farms

This is why we are investing in a robust grid stability portfolio, with projects underway across the UK, including three BESS (Battery Energy Storage Scheme) projects in construction, two of which are in Scotland.

The short-term storage provided by batteries is a critical technology for the UK’s renewable energy ambitions to be achieved. PSH provides long-duration energy storage and is effectively a very large water battery.

As a technology it has been around for a very long time. It is experiencing a renaissance because of the way it can complement the variability of decentralised renewables like wind and solar. Projects like Loch na Cathrach are critical parts of the future energy mix required to maintain stability of the electricity network.

Statkraft, the Norwegian state-owned company, is Europe's largest generator of renewable energy.