Balfour Beatty has said it is to deliver a £1.2m sustainable civil and electrical programme at the Maldie Hydro scheme in West Sutherland in Scotland.

The sustainable energy scheme will generate up to 4.5MW of electricity that will meet the needs of 2,500 households.

The company has said the scheme will allow the generation of electricity through the abstraction of water from the loch. Water will be fed along a 2km buried pipeline to a semi-buried powerhouse that houses the transformer, turbines, generator and associated equipment. The powerhouse is located at the downstream end of the Maldie Burn.

The water rotates the turbine shaft, which in turn rotates the generator shaft. This then converts hydraulic energy into mechanical energy and the generator converts mechanical into electrical energy. The water is then returned to the Maldie Burn.

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Appointed by the client RWE npowerrenewables, and working alongside main contractor BAM Nuttall, Balfour Beatty's package of works includes the design, supply and installation of all HV (High Voltage) balance of plant electrical works at the site in the North West Highlands. This also includes the installation of around 8.5km of 33kV and fibre-optic cabling.

In addition, the firm will supply and install a 33kV switchboard and transformer at the powerhouse, which will be connected to the Maldie Substation using buried cabled to connect to the existing distribution network. Two 690V three phase generators are being installed by Gilbert Gilkes and Gordon to provide a combined generating capacity of up to 4.5MW – which will be increased to 33kV via a transformer within the powerhouse.

Scotland currently generates around 6% of its electricity from hydro power, with more than half of the country's 140 plus hydroelectric schemes in the Highlands and Islands area.

The new Maldie Hydro Scheme will improve and further increase the region's renewable energy production by taking advantage of one of the country's most abundant resources – water.

Balfour Beatty previously collaborated with RWE npowerrenewables on the Novar Two onshore wind farm.

(JP/CD)