Scottish Water has transferred a small disused raw water intake weir under the Community Right to Buy (CRtB) scheme to the Sunart Community Company (SCC) who are developing the site for use as a hydro scheme.
The SCC first identified the potential for a community-run hydro-electric scheme back in March 2011 and carried out work to confirm the viability. The plan is to now use the ex-Scottish Water weir which sits on common grazing land and run a pipeline parallel to the Allt nan Cailleach burn, with a powerhouse on croft land that will feed into the grid.
Robert Dunn, Sunart Community Company Secretary, who has been a key player in achieving the purchase, said:
“This is an important opportunity for us to generate electricity and ultimately income to invest in our community. Three years of effort by our unpaid volunteers has paid off in that we are now in a position where we own it and can progress with our plans for the project.
He went on:
Our emphasis is now on raising the necessary funds to construct the hydro scheme. We have just launched a community share offer which will allow us to raise as much as we can from supporters, whilst giving them a fair return on their money and maximising their engagement with the project.”
Archie Macgregor, Scottish Water’s Head of Commercial Land Management, welcomed the sale, commenting:
“This is an example of how Scottish Water is working to support greater community land ownership in the Highlands. What makes the transfer of this redundant asset all the more satisfying is the fact that the SCC is putting the weir to alternative use as a renewables development.”
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