Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has announced the first contract has been awarded for developing small-scale hydro schemes on the national forest estate in the north-west Highlands.
Green Highland Renewables Limited will carry out the projects, which cover Inverness-shire, Ross & Skye, Lochaber and the northern Highlands. It is the first of three lots that are open for small-scale hydro development.
Mr Lochhead said: “As part of the effort to develop a diverse, low-carbon economy, Scotland has committed to seeing renewables deliver 20% of our total energy used and 50% of our gross electricity consumed by 2020.
“Small-scale hydro schemes can help to carry us towards that renewable energy future, but they bring many additional practical and tangible benefits to communities – from increasing the skills base for local trades to creating new jobs and bringing economic benefits.
“These schemes empower communities by making them more self sufficient in meeting their own energy needs but in also delivering leading-edge community benefits.”
GHR will identify suitable schemes and potential sites for development, which, if agreed by the commission, can be taken forward by GHR through the development, planning and construction phases.
It is part of the Forestry Commission Scotland’s drive to increase its contribution to generating clean and renewable energy by developing more wind and hydro energy projects on its land.