Inverness works
gets green power

A £450,000 project to install over 1,300 solar panels has been completed at Scottish Water’s water treatment works that serves customers in Inverness, Nairn and surrounding areas. 

The scheme is the third largest delivered to date by Scottish Water Horizons and is expected to provide a third of the energy needed at the site at Loch Ashie, 5 miles south-west of the Highland Capital. 

It is also the first Scottish Water renewables project to include the installation of charging points for electric vehicles. As part of its Net Zero Emissions Routemap, this will become a feature of future projects to support Scottish Water’s aim of operating a fully emissions-free fleet of vehicles by 2040.

Project Manager Ian Piggott said: “Harnessing solar energy is just one of the many ways we are helping to tackle climate change and contributing to Scottish Water’s ambitious target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

“The site at Inverness provides a perfect opportunity to install a scheme of this scale, which will have a significant positive impact both on the environmental and financial cost of providing clear, fresh and great-tasting drinking water to around 86,000 customers in the Highland Capital and beyond.

“In the years ahead, we will be seeking to develop further, larger renewable energy projects so that self-generated green power can meet all of Scottish Water’s electricity needs. In Horizons we intend to deliver 90 Gigawatt hours (GWh) per annum of new renewable generation by 2030 to help Scottish Water on its journey to meeting its net zero carbon goal.”

“We intend to deliver 90 Gigawatt hours (GWh) per annum of new renewable generation by 2030 to help Scottish Water on its journey to meeting its net zero carbon goal.”

Ian Piggott, Project Manager

The inclusion of electric vehicle charging points will help accelerate the wider roll out of charging infrastructure across Scottish Water sites.

Scottish Water’s local Water Operations Team Leader Angus Mackinnon said: “It’s a great step forward that we can now generate a significant proportion of the electricity we need within the site, using renewable resources. We are really proud that our water treatment works at Loch Ashie is playing it’s part in helping Scottish Water achieve its net zero carbon ambitions.

Elaine Pringle, Scottish Water’s Fleet Manager, added:  “Installing electric vehicle charging points on operational assets such Loch Ashie is a great opportunity to help us transition to electric vehicles at a much faster pace.  As set out in our Net Zero Routemap, we have an ambitious target ahead of us to transform our commercial fleet into zero emission vehicles.  Installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure is a significant step towards achieving our goals.”

Scottish Water Horizons has already delivered over 45 solar power projects, as well as 20 wind projects, two biomass projects and a heat from waste water project. Scottish Water also hosts significant additional renewable generation capacity on land that it owns across Scotland.