Micro Hydropower

  • Small Scale Hydro Power
  • Coignafearn Hydro Power Scheme
  • Areas of Expertise

    • RIVER AND FLOOD CONTROL
    • WATER SUPPLIES
    • MICRO HYDRO POWER
    • LAND DRAINAGE
    • DAMS
    • WATER RESOURCE PLANNING

    Small Scale Hydro Power

    We are actively engaged in the design and construction of several hydropower schemes in the scottish highlands. These projects are often in environmentally sensitive areas and require extreme care in design and construction.

    Hydro Power is increasingly seen as a means of generating a sustainable income from farms and rural estates that otherwise struggle to remain economically viable. Almost all estates in the highlands have some potential for a hydro scheme.

    Hydro Power installations are for the most part invisible, as the pipes are normally buried underground. They require a small intake weir on a burn or river, and a small building to house the turbine and generator. Some sites are suitable for a small dam and reservoir, which can increase the energy output by storing flood water and releasing it when required.

    We can carry out initial appraisals very rapidly, to assess the potential power yield of small rivers and streams. If a realistic potential is identified, the follow-up process involves environmental and hydrological studies, economic analysis and engineering design of dams, pipelines and associated structures.

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    Coignafearn Hydro Power Scheme

    Coignafearn Hydro Power Scheme under construction in the Scottish Highlands.

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    © Adrian Laycock Ltd 2000. Fair use and distribution of this material is encouraged provided proper citation is given.