Extra time for hydro scheme at former Glenmuckloch mine

Developers have secured another five years for work to start on a £250m hydro energy scheme at a former opencast coal mine.

Permission was originally given for the Glenmuckloch scheme near Kirkconnel in 2016 but was set to run out.

It has now been given until 2027 to start and its operational life has been extended from 100 to 120 years.

Owners Buccleuch announced last year that they were seeking a buyer for the project but one has yet to be found.

However, they welcomed the extension from the Scottish government as allowing the project greater time to come to fruition.

If it goes ahead, the scheme would require hundreds of workers during construction and then create up to 15 long-term jobs.

Pumped Storage Hydro works by releasing water from a higher waterbody to a lower one, passing it through one or more turbines to generate electricity.

Water is then pumped back up the hill and stored in the upper reservoir until further electricity is required.

It has been estimated the project would cost about £250m to complete.

Buccleuch is looking to sell the project plus an adjacent wind farm scheme which it has said would "consign to history the black scar of previous mining activities".

It said the project had the potential to be "economically and environmentally transformational".