CAR/L/5008113 - Earba Limited - Earba Pumped Storage Hydro CAR Application

Overview

It is part of our remit to protect the water environment. We regulate through authorisations that limit the scope and scale of the activity.

If you have an interest in this application, please tell us by completing the following questions and submitting them to us by 28 February 2025.

Application details

We received an application from Earba Limited, Earba Pumped Storage Hydro, Ardverikie Estate, Laggan, Newtonmore, PH20 1BX, on 20 May 2024 for a new authorisation to carry out a pumped storage hydro scheme (CAR/L/5008113).

The application form provided by the applicant is available below:

• Form A
• Form D
• Form E(1)
• Form E(2)
• Form E(3)
• Non Technical Summary
• CAR Licence Main Report Dec 2024
• App A Hydrology Report
• App B MNV Final Hydrology Report
• App D Hydromorphology Technical Appendix
• App G Loch Leamhain Drawdown & Buffer Storage
• App J Aquatic Ecology Technical Appendix
• App K Arctic Charr Species Protection Plan
• Fig 1.1 P2 Earba Scheme arrangement with coords
• Fig 2.10 Tunnel Layout
• Fig 2.11 P3 Tunnel Section
• Fig 2.19 P1 Powerhouse typical cross section
• Fig 2.2 Scheme arrangement
• Fig 2.20 Pitridh channel diversion plan & long section sheet
• Fig 2.21.1 P2 Pitridh aqueduct details sheet 1
• Fig 2.21.2 P1 Pitridh aqueduct details sheet 2
• Fig 2.21.3 P1 Pitridh aqueduct details sheet 3
• Fig 2.21.4 P1 Pitridh weir layout plan
• Fig 2.21.5 P1 Pitridh weir GA
• Fig 2.22 P2 Shuas aqueduct plan & long section
• Fig 2.3 P2 Scheme layout aerial
• Fig 2.4 P2 Upper Leamhain reservoir plan
• Fig 2.44.1 P2 Moy Burn habitat enhancement works, area plan
• Fig 2.44.2 P2 Moy Burn habitat enhancement works weir layout plan
• Fig 2.45 P2 Moy Burn habitat enhancement works, longitudinal sections
• Fig 2.46 P1 Moy Burn habitat enhancement works cross sections & details
• Fig 2.47 P1 Moy Burn habitat enhancement works weir
• Fig 2.5 P2 Leamhain Dam GA
• Fig 2.5.1 P2 Leamhain dam layout plan
• Fig 2.5.2 P2 Leamhain dam layout of spillway bottom outlet pipes & valve house
• Fig 2.6 P2 Lower Earba reservoir plan
• Fig 2.7 P2 Shios Dam General Arrangement
• Fig 2.7 P2 Shios dam enlarged plan spillway valve house hydro intake
• Fig 2.7.4 P2 Shios Dam Valve House Pool and Spillway
• Fig 2.7.5 P2 Shios dam new Ardverikie intake
• Fig 2.8 P2 Shuas Dam GA
• Fig 2.8.1 P2 Shuas Dam Area Plan
• Fig 2.9 P2 Promontories GA
• Fig 3.1 P1 PSH Options Layout
• Loch Earba PSH and task 2
• Loch Earba PSH_Task 2 - Flow duration curves (Rev C)

SEPA do not believe the following documents submitted with the application to be directly relevant to the determination and have chosen to limit publication to those we consider directly applicable to determination.  However, should you wish an electronic copy of any document on this list please specify the title and email registry@sepa.org.uk .

Additional Documents

• App C - Comparison of theoretical & gauged data
• App E - PPP General & Leamhain Dam
• App F - CEMD
• App L - Socioeconomics EIAR Chapter
• Earba PSH Shadow HRA (Ben Alder & Aonach Beag SAC) Dec 24
• Figure 2.1 P1 - Location Plan
• Figure 2.12 P2 - Upper Control Works GA
• Figure 2.13 P1 - Upper Control Works isolation Gates GA
• Figure 2.14 P1 - Surge Shafts GA
• Figure 2.16 P1 - Lower control Works GA
• Figure 2.17 P1 - Lower Control Works Isolation Gates PA
• Figure 2.18 P1 - Powerhouse external layout
• Figure 2.2.1 P1 - Site-compound-SC1-Borow-Pit-BP1-Plan-and-Section
• Figure 2.2.2 P2 - Borrow-Pit-BP4 Plan-and-Sections
• Figure 2.2.3 P1 - Borrow-Pit-BP4 Plan-and-sections
• Figure 2.2.4 P1 - Borrow-Pit-BP5AB-Plan
• Figure 2.22.1 P1 - Shuas Aqueduct Intake Weir & Headwall GA
• Figure 2.23 P1 - A86 Junction GA
• Figure 2.24 P1 - River Spean Moy Bridge GA
• Figure 2.25 P2 - Track-from-SC1 to-Powerhouse-Sheets-1-to-11
• Figure 2.26 P2 - Track-from-Powerhouse-to-Shois-sheets1-9
• Figure 2.27 P2 - Track-from-Powerhouse-to-Leamhain-Sheets-1-to-1
• Figure 2.28 P1 - Cross-Sections-through-Hairpin-Bend-and Cuttings
• Figure 2.29 P1 - Access Track Details Sheet 1
• Figure 2.30 P1 - Access Track Details Sheet 2
• Figure 2.31 P1 - Main-Site-Compound-SC2-at-Shuas-Dam_Plan-and-Sections
• Figure 2.32 P1 - Site-Compound-SC3 Powerhouse-Area Plan-and-Sections
• Figure 2.33 P2 - Borrow-Pit-BP3 SC5 Plan-and-Sections
• Figure 2.34 P1 - Site-Compound-SC6AB Shios-Dam_Plan-and-Sections
• Figure 2.35 P1 - Site-Compound-SC7 Surge-Shaft-Area Plan-and-Sections
• Figure 2.36 P2 - Site-Compound-SC8 Leamhain-Dam Plan
• Figure 2.37 P1 - Site-Compund-SC8 Leamhain-Dam Sections
• Figure 2.38 P2 - Tree Planting Plan
• Figure 2.41.1 P1 - Access Bridge over Diversion channel
• Figure 2.42.1 P1 - Diversion Channel Footbridge GA
• Figure 2.42.2 P1 - Footbridge over Burns GA
• Figure 2.5.3 P2 - Leamhain Dam Lower Valve House Layout Plan
• Figure 2.5.4 P2 - Leamhain Dam Lower Valve House Sections
• Figure 2.5.5 P2 - Leamhain Dam Lower Valve House Temp GA
• Figure 2.7.1 P2 - Shios Dam Layout Plan
• Figure 2.7.3 P2 - Shios Dam Sections Thro Spillway & Comp Pipes
• Figure 2.7.6 P2 - Shios Dam Construction Stage
• Figure 2.7.7 P2 - Shios Dam Section Thro Temp Culvert Cofferdam
• Figure 2.8.2 P2 - Shuas Dam Construction Area Plan
• Figure 2.8.3 P1 - Shuas Dam Construction Cross Sections
• Data export Leamhain dam impacts
• Data export - Leamhain Dam impacts to Allt Cam - time series & FDCs

The applicant has placed an advert in the national and local press.  You have until 28 February 2025 to submit your comments.

Why your views matter

Why are we consulting?

This is your opportunity to let us know about any risks you believe the activity(ies) will have on:

• The water environment, including potential impacts to species and habitats. 
• The interests of other users of the water environment, resulting from an aspect of the proposed activity(ies) that we regulate.

How we will manage responses

At the end of the consultation, we will publish all comments. You can tell us within the consultation if you do not want your comment published. If this is the case, we will publish a note saying that we received a response but have not made it publicly available.

We will write to everyone who responded to the consultation and provided contact details, outlining the feedback received, how it has been taken into account and our proposed decision. If you disagree with our decision, you will be given the opportunity to request that Scottish Ministers ‘call-in’ the application for their determination.

Scottish Minister may agree to call-in an application if: 

• the representation provides clear reason for the objection, supported by evidence;
• the objection relates to material considerations raised during determination of the application.

The full criteria for Ministerial consideration are listed on gov.scot.

The final decision will be published on this website along with the authorisation, if granted.