Lanark Hydro Electric Scheme

Lanark Hydro Electric Scheme
Bonnington power station
LocationSouth Lanarkshire, Scotland
Coordinates55°39′16.85″N 3°46′17.37″W / 55.6546806°N 3.7714917°W / 55.6546806; -3.7714917
StatusOperational
Construction began1926
Opening date1926[1]
Owner(s)Drax Group[2]
Power Station
Installed capacity17 MW
Bonnington 11 MW
Stonebyres 6 MW
Lanark
Hydro-Electric Scheme
Legend
 River Clyde to Motherwell
Stonebyres power station
Stonebyres Linn (waterfall)
Stonebyres tilting weir and pipeline
New Lanark Mills 1-4
Mill Lade
Dundaff Linn (waterfall)
Mill Dam and tunnel
Bonnington power station
Corra Linn (waterfall)
pipeline
Bonnington tilting weir and pipeline
Bonnington Linn (waterfall)
Bonnington Linn footbridge
Weir
River Clyde upper reaches

The Lanark Hydro Electric Scheme consists of two hydroelectric plants in the Clydesdale area of South Lanarkshire, Scotland. They are run-of-the-river power stations, using water from the River Clyde near to the Falls of Clyde. Bonnington Power Station gets its water supply from just above Corra Linn in New Lanark, while Stonebyres Power Station takes water from above Stonebyres Linn near Kirkfieldbank. Bonnington is the larger of the two stations, which between them can produce 17 MW.[2]

The Lanark Hydro Electric Scheme was the first large-scale scheme in the United Kingdom to produce clean renewable energy for public supply, using water from the Falls of Clyde to power homes and meet the growing demand for electricity after World War I. The scheme does not use dams for water storage, relying instead on there being sufficient water in the river and flowing down the waterfalls to enable the power stations to operate for most of the year.[3] The two stations generate enough electricity for power over 17,000 homes,[4] and make a significant contribution to the target of producing 40 per cent of Scotland's energy from renewable sources by 2020.[5]

  1. ^ Payne 1988, p. 24.
  2. ^ a b "Hydro-electric schemes". Drax. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023.
  3. ^ Newnes Electrical Pocket Book. London, England: butterworth-heinemann ltd. 22 October 2013. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-7506-0513-7. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference timeline was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "New Lanark hydro celebrates 75 years". Scottish Government. 10 November 2003. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2015.