£550 million hydro approved for east bank of Loch Ness

A hydro scheme on the eastern shore of Loch Ness has been given the green light by Scottish ministers.

Costing more than £550 million, the Red John scheme will be built near the village of Dores, about seven miles south of Inverness.

The government decision comes after a public inquiry last year during which Highland Council strongly objected to the plans.

The council based its refusal to back the scheme on its visual impact on Loch Ness and Great Glen during the construction phase.

However, the Scottish Reporter found that the visual impacts would "be very limited and localised" and "expected to reduce over time as the woodland planting schemes mature".

ILI Group claims the 450MW renewable energy scheme will have large-scale environmental benefits.

Mark Wilson, the firm's CEO said: "This project will help pave the way for hundreds of millions of pounds of investment and hundreds of new jobs in the area and will be another major step in Scotland’s ongoing journey to becoming a leader in renewable energy.

"This project alone will save over 45 million tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime."

Michael Matheson, the cabinet secretary for Net Zero, Energy, and Transport, said: “The Scottish Government has long been supportive of pumped hydro storage for its role in ensuring resilience in our electricity supplies, and for the tremendous opportunity it provides to unlock the potential of renewable energy and support Scotland’s net zero ambitions.

“Scotland is a leader in this field, with excellent hydro-electric power heritage built over the last century and this new scheme at Loch Ness will only add to that.

"As we add more renewable electricity generation across Scotland, investing in pumped hydro storage will be key to balancing our electricity demand with supply and keeping the system secure, as well as creating high quality, green jobs and enabling a green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic."

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