Scottish Water is trialling an innovative 'plug and play' hydropower technology at its Shieldhall Wastewater Treatment Works in Glasgow - the PicoStream turbine can be installed to generate renewable energy from existing water and wastewater flows without the need for major infrastructure modifications.

Photo: one of the microturbines being trialled at Shieldhall WWTW

Working in partnership with the Fish Friendly Hydropower Company (FFH) and WGM Engineering, the publicly-owned utility is testing a pioneering floating turbine that could generate renewable electricity at both water and wastewater sites, without the need for significant infrastructure modifications.

As part of the trial, FFH's PicoStream turbine has been installed at Shieldhall, one of Scotland's largest wastewater treatment works. The technology is designed to capture energy from water already moving through treatment processes, generating renewable electricity around the clock from flows that would otherwise go unused.

The pilot emerged from a collaborative innovation project facilitated by the Hydro Nation Chair and involving Scottish Water, WGM Engineering, Zero Waste Scotland, RMAS, and the universities of Edinburgh and Stirling.

The collaboration explored circular economy opportunities within the water and wastewater sector and identified the PicoStream turbine as a potential source of continuous renewable energy that could be deployed quickly and without major structural changes.

Sam Maitland, Managing Director of Fish Friendly Hydropower Company Ltd, explained:

“This trial is a major step forward in demonstrating how simple, low-impact hydropower can play a meaningful role in the transition to net zero. There is huge, untapped energy in water infrastructure, and technologies like PicoStream allow us to capture that energy quickly, cost-effectively, and with minimal disruption.

"It is great working with WGM Engineering in close collaboration with Scottish Water who, I believe, are leading the charge to Net Zero within the UK water sector.”

Jason Cramb, Director at WGM Engineering Ltd, said:

“WGM are thrilled to be partnering with FFH to deliver this pioneering and sustainable technology to the water industry and showcasing how innovation, engineering expertise and new technology can come together to unlock practical renewable energy solutions.”

If the trial is successful, the system could be rolled out to other Scottish Water assets, helping to increase renewable energy generation from existing infrastructure and supporting Scottish Water's net zero ambitions.

Fraser Simpson, Product Owner, Major Projects at Scottish Water, commented:

“Scottish Water is committed to exploring innovative solutions that help reduce our carbon footprint and contribute towards the energy resilience of our sites, while continuing to deliver high quality, reliable services on our journey towards Net Zero."