SSE Renewables plans to convert Britain’s largest conventional hydropower plant, Sloy Power Station, into a pumped hydro storage facility.

This transformation aims to strengthen energy security and provide backup for renewable energy.

The conversion will help balance renewable energy generation during periods with low wind and sunlight.

The revamped Sloy scheme could deliver up to 25GWh of long-duration electricity storage, providing firm and flexible renewable energy for approximately 160 hours non-stop, enough to power around 90,000 homes for a week, SSE has said.

The announcement was made during a visit by Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf to the power station on Loch Lomond.

First Minister Humza Yousaf emphasised the importance of hydro power in Scotland’s renewable energy sector and called for appropriate market mechanisms to maximise its potential.

SSE Renewables’ Director of Onshore Europe, Finlay McCutcheon, has said converting Sloy Power Station will enhance energy security and flexibility in the UK’s renewable energy system.

The project, along with another pumped hydro storage initiative at Coire Glas, could triple the country’s flexible electricity storage capacity.