'First of its kind' £3m green hydro scheme completed at reservoir

A “pioneering” green hydro energy scheme – believed to be the first of its kind in Europe – has been completed in East Lothian.

Scottish Water has finished the construction of the £3m scheme at the Whiteadder Reservoir, which is expected to offset almost a third of the energy used by one of the area’s largest pumping stations named the Hungry Snout.

Hungry Snout takes around 32 million litres of water per day to Castle Moffat Water Treatment Works, which then supplies most of the region with drinking water.

The new project allows green energy to be generated while also accurately controlling the reservoir’s level during seasonal weather fluctuations.

Water is drawn up through the intake and over the top of the damn through the use of siphon technology before running down through the siphon, through the hydro turbine, and back into the natural environment.

It will significantly reduce the carbon emissions from the pumping station, saving approximately 111 tonnes of carbon each year, the equivalent of a passenger jet flying from Edinburgh to Sydney, Australia 40 times.

The project has been led by Scottish Water Horizons and delivered by renewable energy specialists Emtec Energy.

Green Hydro Energy Scheme at East Lothian Reservoir Scottish Water

Acting net zero and energy secretary Gillian Martin said: “This is a very welcome milestone in green energy and Scotland’s goal to reach net zero emissions by 2045.

“Scottish Water’s £3m investment in this innovative technology, the first of its kind in Europe, is maximising the value of our water resources, reducing emissions and delivering benefits to customers by reducing costs which can be re-invested.

“Further investment in innovative technology will be required to adapt to the challenges presented by climate change, ensuring our water supply is more resilient and our waterways cleaner.”

Senior project manager at Scottish Water Horizons Neil Beaumont said: “We are delighted to have completed construction of this exciting project which will produce enough green energy to meet 30% of the power needs of the Hungry Snout pumping station and reduce our reliance on drawing energy from the national grid.

“We also wanted to ensure our carbon footprint was as low as possible throughout the construction process, which is why we used divers and barges to sink the pipes under the water – this was a much less intrusive and carbon intensive way of installing the new infrastructure than more traditional methods.”

He added: “The scheme will ensure that we are protecting the water levels of the reservoir via smart controls and sensors, so that we are never taking too much water in order to power the hydro turbine – the reservoir’s primary function is to provide water to customers.”

Scottish Water has committed to meeting net zero total emissions across all its operational and investment activities by 2040.