Hydropower:

LandownerInformation

Pack

Hydropower is the most efficient of all renewable

technologies. The energy output is highly predictable

and the equipment has a long life, typically 50 years

or more.

Hydropower schemes have little visual impact – they

are low to the ground, unobtrusive, have no glare

issues, make little noise and have no waste products.

Hydropower enables landowners to increase and

diversify their income sources whilst supporting the

UK’s commitment to climate change.

Hydropower technology is cost effective and widely

deployed. The UK has more than 2,000 Megawatts

of hydropower potential which can be developed

now and in the future.

The support available to hydropower investors in

Scotland, England Wales and Northern Ireland is

favourable – Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs)

and Feed-in-Tariffs (FiTs) offer a long-term reliable

income source which is shared with the landowner

and supports construction finance.

Why Hydropower?

Intake Structuresin the river, low impactwith no dams

Pipe lineburied PVC pipe for low-pressurewater and buried steel penstockfor high-pressure water

Powerhousea small building designed to blend

with the local environment

What Makes a Hydro Scheme?A hydro scheme is made up of three key components:

Why work with us?

Renewable Design and Development Limited (RDD) is

Lonburgh Hydropower’s retained development consultant

and is part of the Newmills Engineering group, one of the

UK’s top manufacturers of hydropower turbines and

related equipment. RDD and Newmills have taken many

renewable energy projects from feasibility and planning

through to construction and operation in diverse

locations across the UK and abroad for landowners,

community groups and schools. The team has a proven

project management record having designed, consented

and installed over 70 hydro systems and has several

large UK sites currently in the planning process.

RDD specialises in designing and building small-scale

run-of-river hydropower projects from about

250 kilowatts to 2 Megawatts, which is the typical size

that could fit on one farm or estate without having a

significant impact on the environment or on farm

operations. RDD manages the whole process of assessing

feasibility, scheme design, and obtaining planning and

other consents, while Lonburgh Hydropower Limited (LHL)

provide development funding, arrange construction

finance and ultimately will build and operate the scheme.

With an LHL / RDD hydropower project there is no cost to

the landowner at any time. In fact the opposite is true

– LHL reimburse agreed levels of legal fees to ensure that

the landowner gets good-quality professional advice

when considering a project. Once operational, the

electricity generated by the hydropower plant is sold and

the landowner will receive an agreed share of this

income. This should provide the landowner with an

RPI-linked revenue stream for 50 years or longer without

having a significant impact on existing land use.

LHL and RDD’s flexible approach also allows us to develop

hydropower schemes as a joint venture with landowners if

this is preferred.

Realising a Hydropower Scheme – A step-by-step guide

1: The ‘Heads of Terms’, a non binding agreement, is made between the Landowner and LHL

that enables LHL to have a 50 year lease to develop and operate a hydropower scheme.

The principal matters agreed between LHL and the Landowner are in the Heads of Terms

2: Lease Option documents are issued to Landowner in draft form. These cover the same

matters as the Heads of Terms but will be legally binding and so LHL recognises that

the Landowner should get legal advice, which LHL will pay for

3: We finalise the technical, economic and environmental assessment of your site

4: The Landowner and LHL sign the Lease Option document

Steps 5 to 12 require little further input from you and few visits to your site

5: We request an electricity grid feasibility study from the electricity Distribution Network Operator (DNO)

6: We start licensing discussions with the environmental authority (SEPA, EA, DCAL, NRW)

7: We submit a pre-application screening request to the local planning authority

8: We submit an Operating Licence application to the environmental authority

9: We submit a full planning application to the local authority

10: We receive full planning consent and an Operating Licence

11: We submit a grid connection application to the DNO

12: DNO provide a grid connection offer to us

13: We issue a tender for construction to EPCs (Engineering, Procurement and Construction)

14: EPC contract awarded and construction commences – the build programme varies but

is in the range of 10-14 months

15: We commission and connect the hydro scheme to the electricity grid

16: Fifty years of operations. The hydro scheme is monitored 24 hours a day by CCTV

and remote internet connection

There is no cost to Landowner for the development or the maintenance of the hydro scheme.

The overall timescale to an operational site varies and can be from 18 to 30 months.

Most of this is time taken by the formal planning and licensing process and in securing

a connection to the electricity grid.

www.lonburgh-hp.com

About Renewable Design and DevelopmentRDD provides a turnkey solution to the development of hydropower schemes incorporating:

• Site identification and feasibility studies • Project management

• Environmental screening • Tendering and procurement

• Civil, mechanical and electrical design • Project administration

• Planning and licence applications • Site monitoring and regular servicing

• Grid analysis and connectivity • Planning and Licensing Compliance

The RDD team and its consultants have expertise in all the areas required to design,

licence, build, operate and finance hydropower schemes.

About Newmills EngineeringNewmills provides customers with the complete hydropower package, from the design

and manufacture of the turbine, generator and control equipment through to installation,

commissioning and ongoing repair and maintenance.

• Turbine Design • Manufacture • Refurbishment

• Installation • Commissioning • Maintenance

About Lonburgh HydropowerLonburgh Hydropower is based in Edinburgh and works with RDD to fund and invest in the

development stage of hydropower projects and to ensure that feasible, consented schemes

can be funded through construction to commissioning as operational hydropower projects.

For further information, please contact;

Lonburgh Hydropower Limited2 Walker Street, Edinburgh EH3 7LA

Tel: 0131 202 6125Email: contact@lonburgh-hp.com

www.lonburgh-hp.com