River Cuileig
River Cuileig is a 3.3 MW small hydro scheme in Scotland, operated by SSE Group. The UK government lists it as operational in its register of power stations (DUKES table 5.11, May 2025).
- Small Hydro
- Scotland
Key facts
- Installed capacity
- 3.3 MW
- Status
- Operational
- Technology
- Hydro Β· Small Hydro
- Operator
- SSE Group
- Region
- Scotland
- Country
- Scotland
- Grid connection (DUKES)
- LV
- Combined heat & power
- No
- Coordinates
- 57.7633, -5.0392
Location
Map position from the published coordinates. For small sites this can be an approximate point rather than the exact boundary. Map Β© OpenStreetMap contributors.
How River Cuileig compares
At a typical UK load factor for this technology (about 35% of the maximum possible output), a 3.3 MW station would generate roughly 10 GWh of electricity in a year, similar to the annual use of about 3,750 homes at 2,700 kWh each. This is an illustrative estimate, not the station's metered output: real generation varies with weather, availability and grid constraints.
Hydroelectric stations generate electricity from water flowing downhill through turbines, either from a reservoir behind a dam or from a river (run-of-river). Most UK hydro capacity is in Scotland and Wales.
All UK hydro schemes and pumped-storage stations Hydro schemes and pumped-storage stations in Scotland All run by SSE GroupNearby generating sites
- Inverlael Β· 2.5 MW small hydro scheme6.6 km
- Vaich Power Station Β· 0.32 MW small hydro scheme15.5 km
- Lochluichart Β· 69 MW onshore wind farm17.9 km
- Achanalt Power Station - A Β· 3.1 MW small hydro scheme18.5 km
- Corriemoillie Β· 48.5 MW onshore wind farm19.0 km
- Grudie Bridge Power Station - A, G Β· 18.7 MW hydroelectric station20.4 km
- Luichart Β· 34 MW hydroelectric station20.8 km
- Mossford Power Station - A,G Β· 18.7 MW hydroelectric station20.8 km
Also operated by SSE Group
SSE Group operates 127 sites in the register. Largest first:
- Peterhead Β· gas-fired power station1,180 MW
- Seagreen Β· offshore wind farm1,075 MW
- Keadby 2 Β· gas-fired power station840 MW
- Medway Β· gas-fired power station755 MW
- Keadby Β· CCGT gas power station735 MW
- Beatrice Offshore windfarm Β· offshore wind farm588 MW
- Greater Gabbard Β· offshore wind farm504 MW
- Viking Wind Farm Β· onshore wind farm443 MW
Planning history
From the government's Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD), matched to this site by location, capacity and name.
- Planning status
- Operational
- Site name in planning record
- Cuileig Hydro Scheme
- Developer / operator
- Scottish Hydro-Electric plc
- Planning authority
- Highland
- Application submitted
- 9 October 1998
- Permission granted
- 1 March 2000
- Began operating
- 15 February 2002
- Capacity in planning record
- 3.3 MW
- Address
- Abhainn Cuileig Braemore Junction Ross and Cromarty, Highland
- REPD reference
- 434
Source
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES), table 5.11: power stations in the United Kingdom β operational at end of May 2025.
Capacity is installed capacity as published, not current output. Status reflects the source date, not live operation.
View the original source
Last checked by Octary: 15 July 2026
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