Solar powering Oban

A £300,000 solar power scheme helping  protect Oban from climate change is now complete.

 

Scottish Water has just fitted  556 r solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof of its Tullich Water Treatment Works  on the outskirts of the town.

 

This means Tullich will now save 43 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent each year – that’s enough to charge around 5.23 million smartphones.

 

The latest investment adds to the green energy already harnessed at Oban’s waste water treatment works where solar panels were installed back in 2018.

 

Almost half of the electricity needed to operate Tullich will be offset thanks to the solar panels, that is around the same as the electricity used to power more than 65 homes a year.

 

Business Development and Delivery Manager at Scottish Water

 

Horizons Donald MacBrayne, said: “As we’re always looking for new opportunities to help achieve those targets, it made perfect sense to replicate the scheme we had already installed at our waste water treatment works.

 

“Projects like this one at Tullich Water Treatment Works are a key component to our net zero journey. We also have plans to develop a hydro energy scheme in the town.”

 

This latest project also helped support the local economy and provided much needed

 

employment opportunities in the area.

 

The solar panel project at Tullich was delivered by Oban Electrical Services (OES), part of the FES Group.

 

Angus MacPherson of OES said: “It brings companies like us local work and helps to sustain employment in the area.

 

It gave OES the opportunity for their modern apprentice, Jamie MacEwan, to join the team delivering the project.

 

Jamie said: “It was a brilliant experience working on the solar PV project at Tullich and it really helped to further my hands-on training in the renewables sector. I’m looking forward to future opportunities like this with Scottish Water Horizons.”

 

Several other solar projects are being built at Scottish Water’s property

 

portfolio and currently almost 80 of  its water and waste water treatment works are now either self-sufficient or partly sufficient in their power requirements.

 

Caption: Modern apprentice Jamie MacEwan joins the Oban Electrical Services (OES) team delivering the solar project at Tullich Water Treatment Works

 

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