Watch this space

 

Proposed Arklet Hydro Electric Project Information Sheet - Updated October 2012

This information sheet is intended to provide current information on the Arklet hydro electric project and will therefore be updated as the project develops.

What is the Arklet hydro electric project?

This is a proposed renewable energy project that would take surplus water from Loch Arklet and run it down through an underground pipe to generate electricity in a powerhouse on the edge of Loch Lomond.

Who is behind the project?

Klaret Energy Limited, an independent company formed to identify and bring forward low impact renewable energy projects, is undertaking the feasibility, planning and initial development work for the project. If the project proves to be feasible and planning consent is granted, development and implementation will be undertaken by Klaret Hydro Limited, a separate company formed specifically for the project. Both of these companies are owned and managed by Donald Young, Tim Birley and Ian McNeill.

What will the project consist of?

The main physical elements of the project will be:

• a pipe running down from the Arklet dam to the shore of Loch Lomond
• an inlet to the pipe either
  • directly from the outlet of the dam or
  • from a weir just below the dam
• a powerhouse on the shoreline of Loch Lomond; and
• a rough vehicle track following much of the line of the pipe

How much electricity will the Arklet hydro electric project generate?

Initial projections indicate that the project could produce electricity equivalent to the needs of over 1600 homes, approximately the population of Strathard, Buchanan, the Trossachs, Gartmore, Port of Menteith and Thornhill areas combined. Once our investigations are complete we will be able to provide more detail on the amount of electricity the proposed Arklet hydro electric project could produce.

Will the pipe be buried underground?

Assessment and design work are ongoing; however we expect the pipe to be fully underground and so not visible. We will discuss the proposed route of the pipe and its construction further with the community and the planners as the design of the project evolves.

How will the project be connected to the National Grid?

An underwater cable will take the electricity produced across Loch Lomond to connect into existing infrastructure at Sloy power station.

Why is an access track needed?

The proposed access track is required in order to enable the construction of the project and for ongoing access to the power house and grid connection. Once built, access might be required approximately once per week on average for maintenance and the capacity to be able to remove or replace a large item of plant, turbine, generator or transformer needs to be able to be maintained.

The proposed line of track is still being investigated. Current thinking is that it will follow the proposed line of pipe and an illustrative plan of this has been shared with local residents and Strathard Community Council.

At an initial meeting local residents at Inversnaid queried the need for a permanent track and asked about its impact, requesting that Klaret Energy consider other options for access. Klaret Energy will consider other options including those suggested by the residents and at the same time examine in more detail the possible route, nature and visibility of an access track to the turbine house.

Where will the turbine be located and in what sort of building will it be housed?

The turbine will be located in a powerhouse. The proposed location is on the shoreline of Loch Lomond about 400m south of the Inversnaid Hotel, near to where materials were landed to build the Arklet Dam. The housing for the turbine is another matter for discussion with the planners and the community. Options include:

• an above ground structure the size of a large domestic garage
• an semi-underground structure
• a small jetty/boathouse on the edge of the loch

What noise will there be from the development once up and running?

The turbine which will generate the electricity will be contained within a turbine house. The noise from this for local residents and the hotel will not be significant. There may be some slight noise if standing close to the turbine house itself but not at any level which would interfere with the enjoyment of the area. There will be no noise impact from water flowing down the pipe.

What about the West Highland Way? Will that be affected?

The only element of the project, once built, that has the potential to impact the West Highland Way is the powerhouse, which will be situated at the shoreline at Loch Lomond and therefore close to the West Highland Way. If the powerhouse is underground, walkers will not be aware of its existence. If the powerhouse is above ground it will be contained in a building which will be architecturally sympathetic. During construction we will work closely with the National Park Authority to ensure that all walking routes are retained and respected.

How much construction traffic will there be and will HGV traffic run through Inversnaid?

A Traffic Impact Analysis will be carried out as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment and Planning Application. There will be additional traffic on the B829, but, given the scale of the project, we anticipate only a modest increase in traffic during construction. A detailed traffic plan would be drawn up with the roads authority and it is likely that this would include for instance timing of deliveries to avoid busy times on the road.

We do not expect there to be any need to close the road, even on a temporary basis.

During construction, the site itself will need to be served by the access track we have already discussed above. It is expected that most of the material for this track will be obtained from borrow pits where the track and pipe run through the conifer woods to the south of the Arklet Water. This helps to limit the amount of traffic to the site and the impact on local roads and the community.

If Loch Arklet is a water supply reservoir, is there not a conflict in running the water westward to Loch Lomond and taking it out of the water supply system?

Although most of Loch Arklet’s water currently runs eastward to feed into the public water supply, there is now spare capacity in that system. A combination of rainfall, reduced demand for water due to the decline in industrial activity in the West of Scotland, and a programme of improvements to the water infrastructure carried out by Scottish Water mean that, in an average year, much less of Arklet’s water is actually used to supply Glasgow.

 

This has been confirmed in modelling exercises carried out by Scottish Water. Modelling used the latest measured usage data available for the Glasgow water supply system, in addition to detailed rainfall records going back over 100 years. Results have been run for a range of scenarios including very wet and very dry years. This assessment confirms the availability of water and the potential viability of the project.

In addition, Loch Lomond forms part of the same water system and therefore any water diverted from Loch Arklet to Loch Lomond is still available to the public supply.

Will the project reduce the water running down Arklet Water?

At present, the agreed compensation flows from the dam to the Arklet Water are quite modest. Most of the water in the burn generally comes from the Snaid Burn which feeds Arklet Water some 500m below the dam. In normal circumstances, only a very small proportion comes down Arklet Water from Loch Arklet. This compensation flow will continue. Indeed, the existing compensation flows were set by an Act of Parliament when the dam was built and under review, independently of this project, and may well increase.

Loch Arklet lies at the heart of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority. Is a project like this allowed in such a sensitive location?

The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA) are the relevant planning authority and their consent will be required in order for the project to go ahead. The LLTNPA have just published a new park wide plan - called the Adopted Local Plan - which can be found here:

 

http://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/planning/adopted-local-plan/menu-id-904.html

This guides what development is allowed and where within the National Park it can be undertaken. First and foremost for our purposes, is the principle that any development must not impact on the special qualities of the National Park Area: “For the National Park the key to the development of renewable energy technologies is to ensure that the benefits of these developments are balanced against the need to protect natural and cultural heritage and landscape values of the Park”.

The Adopted Local Plan is accompanied by a range of supplementary guidance materials, including specific guidance for the development of renewable energy projects across the National Park.

We will work within the plans and guidance laid down by the LLTNPA and are carrying out extensive environmental and technical studies, the results of which will be consolidated in an Environmental Impact Analysis. We are seeking guidance from the Park Authority to ensure the Environmental Impact Analysis covers all relevant areas of interest and have made a point of engaging with local residents at an early stage to ensure their interests are fed into the process.

Tell us more about the Environmental Impact?

The line of the pipeline (and the proposed track) covers three types of habitat:

• open moorland from the dam till the woods (around half of the route)
• coniferous woodland (around a quarter of the route)
• oak woodland (around a quarter of the route)

From our initial appraisal we believe that, while each area has some ecological value, the moorland and conifer woods are unlikely to contain habitats or species that will be adversely affected by the works.

Habitat and Wildlife Surveys are being carried out in all three habitats and the water bodies as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment. These include specialist tree surveys, studies on particular species in the area including birds, otters, pine martens, bats, fish, lichens and bryophytes.

Are the Lomond Oakwoods not a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and thus protected from all development?

Large parts of the oakwoods on the banks of Loch Lomond are designated SAC. However the area planned for the access track and pipe is not of such high environmental quality and is not designated as SAC, though parts are listed as Ancient Woodland of semi-natural origin. We believe that, if sensitively designed and implemented, the pipe and track will have only minor impacts on this important habitat.

What about the ancient settlement in the woods?

The proposed pipe and track could come close to Clach Buidhe. We will be undertaking a cultural heritage assessment to ensure we understand the scale and extent of the site, its importance and how we can ensure we do not adversely affect it.

Where do Scottish Water fit in?

Scottish Water own the reservoir and some of the land required for the project. We are therefore working closely with them on relevant aspects and they are supportive of investigations into Loch Arklet's hydro electric potential. We also have agreements in place with the Comer Estate who own the woodland areas down to the shores of Loch Lomond.

What are the broad timescales associated with this project, from now through to commissioning?

We have a range of investigations which need to be undertaken during the course of 2012 and into 2013. These will form the basis for the EIA and an application for planning permission. Once we have collated these we will have further discussions with the local community and other stakeholders.

We then hope to submit an application to the planning authority. A further update on when this is expected to be placed will be made once this information is available.

This then needs to go through due process, which could take anything from a couple of months to six months or longer. The earliest that construction would begin would be spring 2013 and in reality it could well be some time after that. We anticipate that construction would take between a year and 18 months.