In Short : SSE Renewables’ ambitious 1.3 GW pumped hydro storage development in Scotland, Coire Glas, which can store 30 GWh, has become the first pumped storage facility in the world to receive a Gold Hydropower Sustainability Standard (HSS) certification. The project is designed to be executed in an environmentally conscious manner and is in line with long-duration energy storage strategies and net-zero targets.
Highlights of the Project and the Sustainability Edge
Four 324 MW reversible turbines will be installed at Coire Glas, providing continuous energy delivery around-the-clock. Its excellent performance in areas like biodiversity, governance, stakeholder engagement, environmental stewardship, and water management—all crucial components of sustainable development—was praised by the preparation-stage evaluation.
Market Significance and Strategic Importance
Coire Glas is notable for its scalability and sustainability-first design, which align with broader shifts toward renewable resources and reduce reliance on non-renewable ones as the energy sector pivots toward clean, dispatchable systems.
Its success could have a broader impact on investors and policymakers by highlighting hybrid, long-duration alternatives to solar energy, which could help shape future projects’ long-duration energy storage models to work in tandem with solar arrays.
The Bottom Line
The new standard for clean power infrastructure is set by Coire Glas’s Gold HSS certification, which is eco-friendly, efficient, and designed to support a net-zero future. It serves as an example of how infrastructure projects, whether they involve solar, hydrogen, or hydropower, can balance environmental and social responsibility with system resilience.
