A planned fifth hydro project proposed at Loch Ness is going before public consultation, as Glen Earrach Energy's (GEE) pumped storage hydro project seeks permission in the Loch Ness area.

GEE, founded by Balmac Forest with the singular focus on delivering the Pumped Storage Hydro (PSH), is committed to seeking the community’s views on how best to integrate the project into the environment and community.

In April, GEE submitted a scoping request to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit and is beginning to engage with local communities, businesses, and government, as it seeks views on how best to integrate the project into the environment and the community.

When complete the facility will be capable of delivering up to 30GWh using water more efficiently than any other PSH proposal or existing facility on Loch Ness: and be the most efficient such project in the UK, possibly even Europe.

Moving water between two Lochs, Loch Breac Dearga and Loch Ness, the project acts acting like a giant water battery storing excess wind power when it is plentiful and releasing it when the wind dies down. It sits alongside other projects developed by Balmacaan Forest, a privately run family business and estate, including a wind energy development with StatKraft and operational run-of-river hydro with Green Highland.

However not everyone is convinced, and there are worries over the potential effect on fish and wildlife.

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