Black Rock is a 3.5 MW run of river hydroelectric generating scheme on the lower catchment of the River Glass situated in Novar Estates, adjacent to Black Rock Gorge in Evanton, Ross-shire. It was granted planning consent by the Scottish Government in December 2008 and became fully commissioned in 2014.
Black Rock is a run of river scheme which means that it only operates when sufficient water is naturally present in the river in order to maintain and protect the water environment.
The River Glass offers particular characteristics making it suitable for hydro generation in that it benefits from:
- High river flows
- Significant elevation between intake weir and powerhouse
- Access to local electricity distribution network
- Public roads and estate access tracks
Environmental (terrestrial and aquatic) and technical studies were carried out on the site. The findings of these assessments helped to inform the design of the scheme and mitigate any adverse impacts to ensure the water environment is protected.