The Lanark Hydro Electric Scheme refers to two hydroelectric plants in the Clydesdale area of South Lanarkshire, Scotland. They take in water from the Falls of Clyde.
The two plants are known as Bonnington Power Station which takes in water from just above Bonnington Linn in New Lanark, and Stonebyres Power Station which takes water from above Stonebyres Linn near Kirkfieldbank.
Of the two stations that make up the Lanark hydro electric scheme, Bonnington is the larger and both stations combined have an output of 16 MW.
The Lanark Hydro Electric Scheme is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom to produce a clean renewable energy, using water from the falls Clyde to power homes and meet the demand for electricity after World War I. Lanark Hydro Electric scheme does not use dams for water storage, since it takes its water from the waterfalls and uses it as a tilting head. The pipes are designed in a way to take the water and divert it to the two power stations located in Stonebyres and Bonnington. Together these create electricity for over 17,000 homes in the UK They are hoping to use the hydro electric scheme, along with other natural energy sources, to make 40% of the energy used in the UK by 2020.
The Lanark hydro electric scheme was the first of its kind for Britain, on a large scale, it was a technical wonder, because it used energy from the River Clyde's flow to generate power for the electric company. The hydro electric scheme is now a great place to look, when trying to figure out sustainable energy, for the rest of the world.
History
The Lanark Hydro Electric Scheme consisted of the first hydroelectric plants constructed in the United Kingdom. It was designed by Buchan & Partners, and the site agent was Guy Maunsell, who was working for Sir William Arrol & Co. The Westminster parliament approved plans to construct a hydroelectric plant on the Clyde in 1924 and construction began in 1926. Construction of Bonnington Power Station was completed in 1926, followed by Stonebyres Power Station which was completed in 1927. The scheme remained a public asset for several decades, until the privatisation of the energy industry in the 1980s. It is currently owned by Scottish Power.
When the Lanark scheme was proposed, critics were concerned because the location where the stations were to be built, was known for its beauty. Sir Edward MacColl, Chief Technical Engineer for Clyde Valley Electrical Power Company, calmed them with architectural and technical achievements, which made the stations blend into, while complementing the rural look of the landscape. Sir Edward made it a point to preserve the beauty of the Clyde Falls and use adapted technology. This would ensure that there was no need for a reservoir. The water would still run over the falls while also running through the weirs to collect/create the energy/electricity. This kind of scheme is called a run-of-the-river scheme because it uses the natural flow and amount of water to create the power. Sir Edward did so well in the development of the Lanark Hydro Electric Scheme that it became the standard for future hydro electric schemes. The design of the Lanark Hydro Electric Scheme is the gold standard when it comes to ingenuity, design and function.
Drax Group plc acquired the Lanark Hydro Electric Scheme when it purchased Scottish Power's hydro and pumped storage assets from Iberdrola.
Construction
The scheme consists of two buildings, the Bonnington and Stonebyres station. Both of these stations have a similar layout, they are single story buildings constructed with reinforced concrete. They both have large round-topped arched windows, and smaller rectangular windows, with a large flat-topped roof. Water is abstracted at intakes above from Bonnington Linn and Corra Linn. This process is done by an automatic tilting weir that regulates the flow and maintains the head of water. It has three pivoting counterbalanced gates. One of the great things about being next to the falls, is that there is year-round operation of the stations. This means that the stations do not need a reservoir to keep the water in because the water from the falls is enough to sustain it. There is almost constant operation, due to the water levels at the Clydes Falls. In 1970, both the Bonnington Power Station and the Stonebyres Power Station, started using induction generators instead of synchronous generators.