Hydropower has been a source of electricity generation since the late 19th century. The first hydroelectric system in the world was built in the UK in Northumberland, England, in 1878 and powered a single lamp. Today, the UK has over 1,600 hydropower plants, with more than 80 located in Scotland.
In 2025 the Earba Pumped Storage Hydro (PSH) Project received planning consent. It will be built in the Scottish Highlands at Loch na h-Earba on the Ardverikie Estate. When construction is completed in around six to seven years, the scheme will store up to 40,000 MWh of energy, making it the largest project of its kind in the UK in terms of stored energy.
Hydropower currently provides around 10–15% of Scotland’s renewable electricity. There are three main types. Impoundment facilities use dams to store water in reservoirs, releasing it through tunnels to spin turbines that generate electricity. Diversion, or run-of-river systems, channel natural river flow through turbines without large reservoirs. Pumped storage facilities move water uphill using surplus renewable energy, then release it during periods of high demand to generate electricity. Scotland's hydropower is a vital, long-established renewable source, where the focus in recent years has started to shift to large-scale pumped storage, despite some challenges like planning hurdles and punitive rates for small schemes. Hydropower continues to be essential for integrating intermittent renewables into the countries Net Zero goals.
This section provides examples of a research, teaching or innovation taking place at Robert Gordon University related to this topic.
RGU Startup Accelerator: Meet Power To Go Hydro Over five months, startup teams comprising students, staff, and alumni from Robert Gordon University and North East Scotland College had the opportunity to turn their ideas into viable businesses through the RGU Startup Accelerator. Selected teams, with ideas from any industry, received access to seed funding, mentorship, training, incubation space, and more.
The project “Meet Power To Go Hydro” focused on developing an inflatable waterwheel designed to generate clean, accessible, and affordable electricity. The innovation aimed to be cost-effective to manufacture, install, and maintain.
The project was funded by The Wood Foundation and run by RGU's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group.