A proposed pumped storage hydroelectric project in the Scottish Highlands could support 2,880 construction jobs.
A study by BiGGAR Economics estimates that the project, Coire Glas, could also deliver a £1.94 billion spending boost with UK businesses and generate £1.5 billion in UK economic value.
The 1.44GW SSE facility would however require private capital investment of round £3 billion. But once operational, it could support 60 long-term jobs annually.
Stephen Wheeler, Managing Director of SSE Renewables, said: “Coire Glas has the potential to be one of the most important infrastructure projects built in the UK in a generation, delivering major economic benefits while strengthening the country’s energy security. This study demonstrates the scale of that opportunity.”
There has already been more than £100 million invested in developing Coire Glas, including site investigations and a 1.2km exploratory tunnel to inform the project’s final design.
In June 2026, Ofgem included the facility as one of the 16 Long Duration Electricity Storage projects in its ‘Minded-to-Decision’ list for receipt of cap and floor investment support.
SSE says it continues to engage with Ofgem’s process, with a significant number of points of detail needing to be resolved for the project to progress.
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