SSE's proposed Coire Glas Hydropower Project on Loch Lochy has made history as the world’s first pumped storage hydropower scheme to achieve Gold certification under the Hydropower Sustainability Standard (HSS).

If approved, Coire Glas would become the UK's largest Long Duration Energy Storage facility, capable of storing around 30 GWh of renewable energy—significantly boosting the nation’s grid flexibility. SSE hopes the project could be operational in the early 2030s, pending the development of a viable government support scheme that would allow for a final investment decision.

The HSS Gold certification follows a rigorous preparation stage assessment earlier this year, which found SSE Renewables had demonstrated strong sustainability performance across key areas, including labour practices, safety standards, governance, stakeholder engagement, and environmental and social planning.

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João Costa, Executive Director of the Hydropower Sustainability Alliance, said: "Pumped storage is essential to a resilient, renewable-powered grid, and Coire Glas is showing that large-scale projects can be designed with sustainability built in from the beginning. It's exciting to see the Hydropower Sustainability Standard being used to shape one of the UK's most ambitious energy projects."

Mike Seaton, Project Director for Coire Glas, said: "Attaining Gold certification is a testament to the diligence and dedication of the Coire Glas project team. It also reflects the positive contribution of the contractors who worked with us on the project to date.

"While there is still a way to go to ensure there is an investable policy mechanism to support it, Coire Glas has a crucial role to play in helping the UK and Scottish Governments meet their Net Zero targets. We are delighted to demonstrate that developments of this type can be developed with a focus on sustainability."

Andrew Jacobs, SSE Hydro Sustainability Partner, added: "Working towards our certification with the Hydropower Sustainability Alliance has been a rewarding and challenging experience. Achieving Gold certification has enabled our development team to highlight how our world-class Coire Glas project can harness renewable energy sources in a way that can bring our sustainability commitment to life.

"We are grateful to the external stakeholders who supported us throughout the certification consultation process, and we look forward to building on these positive relationships as we progress the Coire Glas project."