A 4.5km pipe transfers water from the intake to the powerhouse. This vertical drop, known as the 'Gross Head' of the project is 90m. The pipeline is made of Glass-fibre Reinforced Plastic (GRP). A Gilkes Twin Francis solution is used, operating at a design flow of 2,450 l/s. This turbine is a reaction type turbine which is optimised for medium-head, high-flow applications and provides high efficiency at peak power.
Initial feasibility work first started in 2009. Planning permission and SEPA license were received in late 2012 and construction started in earnest in February 2014. As well as being an investment partner in the project, Gilkes Energy was also the lead engineer, providing design, project management and construction supervision services. The lead civil contractor was Global Infrastructure, an experienced civil contractor from Inverness.
The project started generating in June 2015 and was delivered on time and on budget.
- Commissioning date: June 2015
- Location: Perthshire
- Turbine: Twin Francis
- Intake type: Side
- Gross head: 90m
- Catchment area: 42km²
- Maximum turbine flow: 2.45m³
- Maximum output: 1,900kW
- Pipeline length: 4.5km
