2022 an t-Samhain / Nov. Hydro Ness

04/11/2022 seaboardgàidhlig No comments

Hydro Ness

Seachdain no dhà air ais, bha cothrom agam rudeigin ann an Inbhir Nis fhaicinn ris an robh mi air fiughair a dhèanamh fad mhiosan – meanbh-sgeama haidro “Hydro Ness”. Cho luath ‘s a thòisich an sgeama air obrachadh, tràth san t-samhradh am bliadhna, bhuannaich e iomadh duais, m.e. aig Duaisean Cumhachd Ath-nuadhachail na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean, mar phròiseact ath-nuadhachail as fheàrr air tìr, agus Pròiseact Beag den Bhliadhna (British Construction Industry). Bhiodh sin drùidhteach gu leòr gun dad eile, ach leis gu bheil an sgeama dìreach air Abhainn Nis, chan ann sna beanntan mar a b’ àbhaist, mar gum biodh anns a’ bhaile fhèin, agus ann an togalach beag fìor tharraingeach (chunnaic mi dealbhan brèagha dheth), bha mi air bhioran fhaicinn mu dheireadh thall.

Tha an sgeama suidhichte air bruach na h-aibhne aig ceann thall Pàirc a’ Chonaisg ri taobh Drochaid Muilleann an Tuilm, àite nàdarrach brèagha. Ged a tha an sgeama fhèin gu tur ùr, tha dà cheangal aige ris an àm a dh’fhalbh. An toiseach, tha e a’ cleachdadh pàirt den bhun-structar a chaidh steidheachadh airson sgeama bhig haidro eile sna 1920an. Chaidh an t-aonamh sgeama-haidro deug ann am Breatainn a thogail faisg air seo le bhith a’ leudachadh seann lad Muileann-flùir a’ Bhucht , a’ tarraing uisge às an abhainn ann an seòrsa cùrsa-uisge àrdaichte. Ruith e fad deicheadan gus an deach Inbhir Nis air a’ Ghriod Nàiseanta. Tha am “Powerhouse” (1929) ri fhaicinn an-diugh fhathast – sin far a bheil bùth uachdair-reòite as t-samhradh.

Agus ‘s e seo an aon lad – air a ghlanadh ‘s a chur an òrdugh a-rithist – a bhios Hydro Ness a’ cleachdadh an-diugh fhèin. Ath-chuairteachadh gu dearbh!

Agus an ceangal eile do dh’eachdraidh? Uill, ‘s e rud fada nas sine a th’ anns an fhear seo: tha an dealan ann an Hydro Ness ga dheànamh le sgriubha Archimedes. Sin inneal à linntean àrsaidh, ann an cruth sgriubha mhòir, a tha ag obrachadh air prionnsabal simplidh gus uisge a ghluasad gu eifeachdach agus gun cus saothair (mar as àbhaist do dh’ìre nas àirde). Tha Hydro Ness a’ cleachadh cumhachd uisge na h-aibhne san lad gus an sgriubha a dhràibheadh, coltach ris an t-seann roth-muilinn, agus mar sin còrr is 500,000 kWh de dhealan ath-nuadhachail a chruthachadh gach bliadhna.

Tha an dealan ga chleachdadh gus cumhachd a sholarachadh do dh’Ionad-Spòrs Inbhir Nis faisg air làimh – 50% den fheumalachd aca. Nuair a smaoinicheas sinn air an dà amar-snàmh mòra aca, agus na goireasan uile eile, aithnichidh sinn gur e caomhnadh gu math mòr a th’ ann, gu h-àraidh le cosgaisean cumhachd a’ sìor dhol an àird a-nis.

Aig an aon àm, ‘s e eisimplir a th’ ann an Hydro Ness – chì sinn dè cho feumail ‘s as urrainn do sgeamaichean beaga, ath-nuadhachail mar seo a bhith dha na sgìrean far a bheil iad, le cumhachd ionadail, gun fheum air pròiseactan einnseinnearachd mòra, daora, agus gun ar lorg carboin a mheudachadh.

Ach tha aon taobh eile aig an sgeama seo – tha e cuideachd airson luchd-tadhail (inbhich is clann-sgoile) a tharraing a-steach is am foghlam a thaobh chuspairean mar àrainneachd is eag-eòlas, obair còmhla ri nàdar, lìontan-bìdh is eag-shiostaman, brosnachadh bith-iomadachd, ath-nuadhachadh na Gàidhealtachd tro lùth uaine, amsaa. Air an adhbhar sin tha an togalach fhèin, slige shimplidh gus dìon a thoirt dhan inneal agus dhan luchd-tadhail, sònraichte tlachdmhor grinn. Tha e ann an cruth armadillo le pleitean meatailt airgeadach, leth-fhosgailte do sholas is do ghaoith. Glacaidh e an t-sùil nuair a dhlùthaicheas tu ris, air cois no air rothair, no ma bhios tu a dràibheadh thairis air an drochaid ri a thaobh. Tha sanasan fiosrachail ann – ma bhios tu airson an leughadh idir – le grafaigean tarraingeach is soilleir (le beagan Gàidhlig orra), anns an t-slige fhèin agus timcheall oirre, air an cruthachadh leis a’ companaidh Mather & Co, agus flùraichean is beingean àlainn à clach gheal.

Àite sìtheil, brèagha, inntinneach. Carson nach toir sibh fhèin sùil air?

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Hydro Ness

A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to see something in Inverness that I’ve been looking forward to for months – the micro-hydro-electric scheme Hydro Ness. As soon as the scheme was up and running, in early summer this year, it was winning awards, such as the Scottish Highlands & Islands Renewable Energy Award for Best Onshore Renewable Energy Project 2022, and the Best Small Project of the Year 2022 at the British Construction Industry Awards. That would be impressive enough on its own, but with the scheme being directly on the River Ness, not in the mountains as these schemes usually are, but more or less in the town itself, and in a fascinating wee building (I’d seen lovely pictures of it), I couldn’t wait to see it at last.

The scheme is located on the river-bank at the far end of Whin Park, beside the Holm Bridge, a beautiful green spot. Although the scheme is completely new itself, it has two connections to the past. First, it uses part of the infrastructure that was developed for an earlier small-scale hydro project in the 1920s. The 11^th hydro-electric station in Britain was built near here using the widened mill-lade of the old Bught Meal Mill, drawing water from the river in a kind of raised watercourse. It ran for several decades until Inverness was connected to the National Grid. Its “Powerhouse” (1929) can still be seen today – it houses the ice-cream parlour in the summer.

And this is the same lade – cleaned and brought back into working order, which Hydro Ness is using today. How’s that for re-cycling!

And the second link to history? Well, that one goes back a lot further: the electricity produced by Hydro Ness is generated using the Archimedes screw. That’s a device from ancient times in the form of a large screw, which works on a simple principle to move water efficiently and with minimal effort (usually up a level). Hydro Ness uses the power of the river flow in the lade to drive the screw, a bit like the old mill-wheel, which then powers the generator to create more than 500,000 kWh of renewable electricity per year.

The electricity supplies half the power needed to run the nearby Inverness Leisure Centre, and when you think about the two large swimming pools and all the other facilities there, you realise that represents quite a sizeable saving, especially with fuel costs rising by the minute.

At the same time Hydro Ness acts as an example – we can see just how useful such small-scale renewable schemes can be to the areas where they are, with local power and without the need for large-scale expensive engineering works, and also without increasing our carbon footprint.

But there’s another aspect to this scheme. Hydro Ness also aims to attract and educate visitors (adults and schoolchildren alike) on subjects like environment and ecology, working alongside nature, food-chains and eco-systems, encouraging biodiversity, renewing the Highlands through green energy, and so on. For that reason the building itself – a simple shell to protect the generator and the visitors – is startlingly attractive and elegant. It’s in the shape of an armadillo with silvery metal plates, half-open to light and wind. It catches the eye as you approach it, on foot or by bicycle, or when driving across the bridge beside it. There are informative signs – if indeed you want to read them – with clear, attractive graphics (and a bit of Gaelic), in the shell and around the location, as well as flowers and elegant white stone benches.

It’s a beautiful, peaceful, interesting place – why don’t you go and have a look for yourself?