SSE's proposed Coire Glas Hydropower Project has been awarded the IHA Blue Planet Prize 2025 in the pumped storage category for its excellence in sustainable hydropower development.

The award was presented at the International Forum on Pumped Storage at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

Located on Loch Lochy in the Scottish Highlands, the project is a crucial part of the UK's Net Zero strategy. If approved, it would be the UK’s largest long-duration energy storage facility, with the potential to store around 30 GWh of renewable energy. In August 2025, the project became the first pumped storage hydropower project in the world to achieve Gold certification under the Hydropower Sustainability Standard.

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Mike Seaton, Coire Glas Project Director, said the team was "extremely proud" of the award, which demonstrates that "vital energy infrastructure can be developed with sustainability at its core." He added that while an investable policy mechanism is still needed for the project to progress, Coire Glas could play a crucial role in meeting UK and Scottish targets.

Eddie Rich, CEO of the International Hydropower Association (IHA), said the award recognises the leadership and dedication needed to "deliver pumped storage responsibly and ensure it plays a fundamental role in the clean and secure energy transition".