The four run-of-river power plants will supply more than 2800 average British households with power. Source: Vento Ludens Ltd
Four run-of-river hydropower plants have been successfully completed on time in the Scottish Highlands, despite restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Koehler Renewable Energy, part of the Koehler Group, completed the joint project with Vento Ludens Ltd after winning a tendering process run by the Forestry Commission Scotland (now Forestry and Land Scotland) in 2014.
The power plants are part of a portfolio which includes a total of six run-of-river power plants. The first two projects in Kelburn and Ledard were successfully completed back in 2017.
“In retrospect, we chose a very challenging time to implement this project,” said Alan Mathewson, Head of Project Development at Vento Ludens. “Despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, including the temporary suspension of building work, we are proud to have now completed the construction on time. The first of the four plants began supplying electricity back in December 2020.”
Nicolas Christoph, Division Head Wind Power, Solar, Hydro & Business Development at Koehler Renewable Energy added: “Thanks to their long service lives, these projects are ideally suited to the long-term strategy of family companies like Koehler and Vento Ludens. The lockdown measures made the construction phase a lot more difficult but the outstanding project management on site and the excellent collaboration with colleagues in Scotland made it possible to successfully perform commissioning without any significant delays.”
A project powerhouse. Source: Vento Ludens Ltd