Scottish Water scheme uses reservoir water to power pumps

Scottish Water has completed construction on a pioneering hydro energy generation scheme at a reservoir in East Lothian.

The water company said it expects the £3m scheme at Whiteadder Reservoir to offset 30% of the energy used by its Hungry Snout pumping station, which takes some 32Ml of water a day to Castle Moffat Water Treatment Works. 

The project is based on siphoning water over the reservoir dam, and using it to drive a 199kW hydro turbine to generate 0.82GWh a year, saving about 111 tonnes of carbon.

The project has been led by the water firm’s commercial subsidiary, Scottish Water Horizons, and delivered by renewable energy specialist, Emtec Energy.