Agenda 6.1 Item Report PLS No 078/18 HIGHLAND COUNCIL Committee: South Planning Applications Committee Date: 23 October 2018 Report Title: 18/01564/S36: Coire Glas Pumped Storage Ltd. At Coire Glas, North Laggan. Report By: Area Planning Manager – South Purpose/Executive Summary Description: Revised Coire Glas Pumped Storage Scheme. Ward: 11 - Caol and Mallaig. Pre –Determination hearing : No Pre meeting Site Visit : Yes (19 Oct 2018) Reason referred to Council : Section 36 application and Community Council Objection All relevant matters have been taken into account when appraising this application. It is considered that the proposal accords with the principles and policies contained within the Development Plan and is acceptable in terms of all other applicable material considerations. Recommendation Members are asked to agree the recommendation to Raise No Objection to the application as set out in Section 12 of the report. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The proposal is a “national development” but not one advanced under Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. The application requires determination by Scottish Ministers under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. However, if approved, Scottish Ministers will issue a Direction under Section 57(2) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 that deemed planning permission be granted for the development. 1.2 Consent for abstraction, diversion and use of water for generating electricity is also being sought under Section 10(5) and Schedule 5 of the Electricity Act 1989. This requires licences from Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (CAR). 1.3 The Council at this stage is a consultee on the proposed development. Should the Council raise an objection to this Section 36 application, Scottish Ministers will be required to hold a Public Local Inquiry on the proposed development. 2. PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 2.1 Scottish Ministers granted consent to construct and operate a 600MW (megawatts) hydro-electric pumped storage scheme at Coire Glas. The current application seeks to increase the generating capacity of the consented project. The revised scheme proposes a maximum generating capacity of up to 1,500MW with an energy storage capacity of up to 30GWh (Gigawatt Hours). 2.2 The primary function of the proposed development would be to extract, store and release energy to or from the electricity transmission system as required to help balance supply and demand for power at a national scale. The principal components of the development are as follows: - Dam and Upper Reservoir - on Loch a' Choire Ghlais. Upper Control Works - An intake tower, screens, gate and gate shaft located within the upper reservoir to direct water into the headrace tunnel and underground waterway system; Underground Waterway System - underground caverns and tunnels carrying water between the upper reservoir and lower reservoir, through the underground cavern power station; Cavern Power Station - A series of underground caverns containing reversible pump-turbines and motor-generators together with associated equipment such as transformers and switchgear; Surge Shaft - A surge shaft would be required to respond to the fluctuations in pressure within the tunnels; Ventilation Shaft - A ventilation shaft would be required to circulate fresh air through the underground access tunnel and cavern power station complex; Lower Control Works - two screened inlet / outlet structures and stop logs, positioned at the end of the tailrace tunnel below minimum water level. These structures would channel water in and out of Loch Lochy; Jetty - Constructed on the shore of Loch Lochy to facilitate use of the Caledonian Canal system for the transport of heavy equipment and materials, and the removal of tunnel spoil; Administration building - An above ground administration and workshop building required for day to day operational and maintenance tasks; Access Tunnels - A main access tunnel and an emergency access tunnel would be provided for accessing the underground power plant, close to the shore of Loch Lochy; Access tracks – The development will require access to the upper reservoir and lower control works. A variety of tracks (and track options) are proposed in part using existing routes as well as new permanent and temporary tracks. The latter will involve a connection from the lower control area to upper reservoir; and Borrow pits to provide aggregate to supply sufficient rock to construct suitable access tracks. 2.3 In addition to the above, it is anticipated that there would be a need for “site establishment” and “project lay down areas” in the vicinity of the upper reservoir, the surge shaft and the lower reservoir works, as well as within the forest area near White Bridge. 2.4 It is anticipated that the construction period would extend over seven years in phases. Normal day time construction shifts would generally apply for the surface works taking into account weather and seasons. However underground construction operations would be expected to continue 24 hours a day / seven days a week. 2.5 The development will result in a significant amount of spoil from the tunnels, surge shaft, ventilation shaft and cavern chambers that would be removed via the tunnel portals near the shore on Loch Lochy. Where possible excavated spoil from the underground works would be re-used in the construction of the dam and within the localised area of construction works wherever feasible. This depends on the characteristics of the blasted rock, processing and handling requirements and cost analysis against the use of an on-site quarry / borrow pit. 2.6 Once the material to be re-used at the dam and the processed spoil used for construction aggregate has been accounted for the quantity of surplus spoil would be approximately 3.9 million tonnes of material at the lower reservoir works. It is anticipated this would require onward transportation for re-use off site. Surplus spoil material could be used on local infrastructure projects, subject to all necessary consents, for example: - Laggan Bay Breakwater - (potential project with Scottish Canals); A82(T) – Loch side protection (potential project with Transport Scotland); Glensanda Quarry - (for onward re-sale); Inveroich Pier Works, Fort Augustus - (potential project with Scottish Canals); or Fort William Marina / Cruise Terminal – (potential project with third parties). 2.7 The development would require the modification of Mucomir Barrage and hydroelectric power station at Gairlochy. Control of Loch Lochy water levels is currently determined by the operation of Mucomir Power Station but the operation of a pumped storage hydro scheme on the loch would take priority over Mucomir. As such, the Mucomir Barrage and Power Station would be modified and a new operating regime determined to allow the necessary control of Loch Lochy levels. It is not intended to manage Loch Lochy beyond the existing level range, but variations in water levels would be more frequent than they are at present. 2.8 The development will impact upon the Great Glen Way which currently uses sections of existing forestry tracks. Alternative permanent provisions to the Great Glen Way will require to be put in place to separate walkers and cyclists from the works / development. 2.9 Pre Application Consultation: - Informal meetings were held to explain the case for and implications of the enlargement of the existing consented project. 2.10 The application is supported with an Environmental Assessment (ES) as required by the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017. 2.11 Supporting Information: The application has a number of supporting submissions the principal one being the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) which considers the following key matters: - Water management. Spoil management. Landscape. Visual amenity. Terrestrial ecology. Ornithology. Aquatic ecology. Fish. Geology. Cultural heritage. Traffic and transport. Noise and vibration Land use and recreation Socio-economic. Forestry (Appendix 3.3 Schedule of Mitigation including draft CEMP) 2.10 The EIAR has been based upon the worst case scenario. The final decision remains over the actual project design taking into account grid requirements, financial decisions and engineering / geological knowledge. The scale of the project may be smaller in terms of electrical output and / or rock extraction. 2.11 It is noteworthy that the application is submitted on behalf of Coire Glas Hydro Pumped Storage Ltd, this provides a vehicle for Scottish and Southern Electricity Plc (SSE) to advance a joint venture project with other parties given the scale of investment required to initiate the project. 2.12 Variations: None 3. SITE DESCRIPTION 3.1 The new dam and upper reservoir would inundate the existing Loch a Choire Ghlais and impound the Allt a Choire Ghlais, which currently flows into Loch Lochy as the Kilfinnan Burn, northeast of the lower development area. The site of the proposed dam falls within a “bowl‟ shaped valley with steep abutment slopes to the north, west and south. The loch a Choire Ghlais sits above 450m Above Ordnance Datum (AOD) east of hill-top Sron a Choire Ghairbh (935m AOD, a Munro). This area of the site is remote with no habitable properties nearby. Construction traffic to the upper reservoir would be from the A87(T) road at White Bridge (Invergarry), then utilise existing forestry tracks