Hydropower at Ardtornish Estate in the Scottish Highlands

Ardtornish Estate is a Highland estate in Scotland located in Morvern, Lochaber.  The present owner of the estate is passionate about conservation; and with the estate team has spent the last few years creating a hydro-power systems high in the hills to provide low-carbon, renewable energy.

With conservation and sustainability at the heart of the estate’s objectives, three hydro power schemes are currently in place, another is under construction, and a fifth , an Archimedean Screw hydropower turbine is due to be commissioned in July 2016. A biomass woodchip boiler heats the mansion house, and green initiatives are being developed to reduce further the estate’s carbon footprint.

The delivery of the Archimedean Screw hydropower turbine required delivery along some single track roads through stunning mountain scenery. This installation will provide a unique visitor attraction as well as supplying power to the estate businesses and holiday cottages.

Rated at 100kW this semi compact Archimedes Screw hydropower turbine at Ardtronish Estate will save 86 tonnes of CO2 annually. Mann Power Consulting Ltd., the UK based Archimedean Screw specialists designed the equipment for this project.  After various consultations it was decided that the most suitable turbine for the site was a semi compact Archimedes Screw Hydro turbine which was manufactured by Landustrie based in Holland.

The Archimedes Screw hydropower turbine is a new application of an ancient technology. For thousands of years the screw was used to pump water up from rivers or streams to irrigate farm land. Now, using the same system in reverse the Archimedean Screw is being used to harness the power of the water to generate hydroelectricity. Once your turbine has been commissioned and connected to the grid you’ll be generating hydro-electric power 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whether the power is for your own property, to sell back to the grid or a combination of both, the Archimedean Screw will likely pay for itself several times over in the course of its operational lifetime (depending on the feed-in tariffs available) . And what’s more these turbines can be scaled to suit all needs – from small domestic applications to huge industrial installations.

The basic requirements required for an Archimedes Screw hydro turbine are:

• A water source with a drop of at least 1.5 metres
• Access rights to that water source
• A grid hook-up point less than 500 metres from the water source – unless the Screw is being used for ‘off grid’ generation only.

If your site satisfies these criteria then there’s every chance you will be able to harness the power of the waterway to generate hydroelectricity. And Eco Evolution will be delighted to pilot your scheme all the way through to delivery.

If you’re still not sure whether your site is right for an Archimedean Screw turbine, get in touch and we will be happy to discuss the specifications and requirements in greater depth.