Consultation on Guidance for developers of storage and pump storage hydropower schemes

Overview

We have developed draft guidance to support developers planning new or modified hydropower schemes in Scotland that involve more than 24 hours of water storage, including pumped storage hydropower schemes.

Until now, we have assessed these applications using existing regulations, guidance and policy. This draft guidance brings together those requirements in one place to help applicants understand the information we need, the environmental impacts we consider, and the mitigation measures that may be required.

The guidance applies to schemes that are now authorised by SEPA under the Environmental Authorisation (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR).

Storage and pumped storage hydropower schemes can provide important benefits, including supporting renewable energy generation and energy security. However, they can also have significant impacts on Scotland’s water environment and other water users. In some cases, particularly for large-scale pumped storage schemes, these impacts could result in serious environmental harm if they are not appropriately managed.

We have a duty to protect and improve Scotland’s water environment. We also recognise that alterations to the water environment can deliver wider benefits, including renewable energy generation, public water supply, flood management and navigation. When assessing proposals, we must carefully balance these interests.

We will consider authorising proposals where:

• they meet the criteria set out in Annex A;

• they include appropriate mitigation measures identified in Annex B;

• the benefits to human health, human safety or sustainable development outweigh the benefits of protecting the water environment, and there is no significantly better environmental alternative; and

• they comply with legislation that protects the water environment, including the Water Framework Directive and legislation relating to Protected Areas.

As part of our assessment, we consider the social, economic and environmental impacts of proposals, including impacts on other users of the water environment. Read Assessing the significance of impacts – social, economic and environmental gudiance for more information.  

We also require prospective applicants for pumped storage schemes and hydropower schemes with more than 24 hours of storage to undertake pre-application public engagement. This helps ensure that local communities, stakeholders and other interested parties have opportunities to understand proposals and share their views before applications are submitted.

We are seeking your views on this draft guidance. Your feedback will help us ensure the guidance is clear, practical and effective in supporting good environmental outcomes while providing certainty for applicants.

Why your views matter 

The feedback we receive through our consultations helps us understand what matters most to our communities and businesses, and shapes how we fulfil our duties. After the consultation closes, we’ll take time to consider responses before sharing an update with you through the “we asked, you said, we did” section of our consultation website. 

How to respond 

The preferred way to respond to this consultation is digitally on our consultation website.  

Where it is not possible for you to respond this way, you can send an email to: consultation@sepa.org.uk. If responding by email, please complete and return the Respondent Information Form with your response.

If you would like information in an accessible format, such as large print, audio recording or braille, please contact us by email or telephone 0300 099 669

Handling your response 

We would like to know if you are happy for your response to be made public. If you ask for your response not to be published, it will be regarded as confidential and treated in accordance with SEPA’s published Privacy Policy.