Alt Mor Hydro

This weekend I learnt something extra-special about generating hydro power on a small scale to benefit a small rural community.

Like many other visitors to Kinloch Rannoch, a village on the River Tummel between Loch Tummel and Loch Rannoch in Perthshire, I was thrilled at the opportunity to walk in the magnificent countryside of the Scottish glens. The previous days we had seen the view Queen Victoria loved, gazing down Loch Tummel towards Schiehallion the “Fairy Hill of the Caledonians;”and we had walked through remnants of the ancient Caledonian Forest, which once covered much of Scotland, at the Black Wood of Rannoch (http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/managing/work-on-scotlands-national-forest-estate/conservation/habitats/woodland/black-wood-of-rannoch) where we marvelled at stunning Scots Pines, emerald green mosses and multi-coloured lichens.

Walking back through Kinloch Rannoch village, we stopped to look at the Alt Mor burn where the waterfall was swollen from the overnight rain, smashing over the rocky hillside, sending white spray in all directions. We could have been happy simply watching the falls, mesmerised, but we realised there was more, with intriguing signs pointing the way to Alt Mor Hydro. Where could this be? Our previous experience of hydro-electric power stations brought to mind large-scale projects. But no, in this case the Alt Mor Hydro Scheme is a tiny resource just beside the burn! It was opened in November 2015 and is situated where people frequently walk: it can not only supply the grid with renewable energy (1GWh) sufficient for the equivalent of 325 homes, but can help provide a local educational resource due to its clever location and construction. The little building has picture windows which enable passers-by to see the Pelton turbine, and electronic displays to indicate the power output, the water pressure, the water flow and the turbine speed. The development also supplies a free electric vehicle charger in the village which is used by a local company that runs the school buses and by private EV owners. Another display indicates the EV energy and miles provided by the scheme, together with the CO2 emissions saved.

So, altogether, an excellent learning experience!

http://www.morhydro.com/projects/allt-mor-hydro/