A turbine which is capable of generating enough green energy to power up to 150 homes has been installed in Scottish Water pipes.

It is the first turbine of its kind in the UK.

The technology, known as Difgen, is capable of producing 600MWh of electricity each year, thus reducing the amount of electricity Scottish Water needs to buy from the National Grid.

The new turbine is located in a strategic trunk water main at Denny, near Falkirk.

It is the latest renewable energy project designed to reduce Scottish Water's energy bill for the benefit of customers. The company, which is publicly-owned, has ten hydro schemes currently in operation while 23 other sites are in development. It is understood these sites will host either hydro or Difgen technologies.

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Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon formally launched the new initiative and said: "It is fantastic to see two of Scotland's vast natural resources, water and renewable energy coming together to benefit both the environment and Scottish Water customers.

"It matches the Scottish Government's ambition to make Scotland a Hydro Nation and ensure the water we have in Scotland delivers the maximum possible benefit to our people."

Difgen is a way of controlling the pressure of water running through pipes while also generating green energy. It can be installed where the flow of water needs to be controlled by installing a pressure reducing valve. A turbine recovers the lost pressure and turns it into energy.

(JP)