Loch na Cathrach
Maximising local job opportunities
Loch na Cathrach can help support a generation of skilled workers in the Highlands, as well as having a transformational impact on our energy security
Scott Gilbert from Statkraft and Shona Clyne from UHI.
Statkraft has partnered with the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) to fund research on the workforce and skills required to build the Loch na Cathrach pumped storage hydro scheme.
The report “Mapping Workforce Skills for Construction of Loch na Cathrach Pumped Storage Hydro Project” will allow education providers such as UHI to gain an accurate picture of the numbers and types of roles required to build a scheme like Loch na Cathrach, and help inform local students as they look to the future and decide their career pathways.
The report also highlights the challenges and opportunities that exist for Statkraft and the industry, as an increasing number of projects in the Highlands enter construction in the future.
Loch na Cathrach will generate significant renewable energy, and requires a skilled and diverse workforce for both construction and long-term operation. This report aims to provide evidence to guide education and skills planning, allowing local communities to benefit from employment and training opportunities and enabling Statkraft to maximise the local workforce during construction.
The Construction Skills Report
Statkraft has commissioned a report to review the supply and demand of skills in the Highlands. It found that the project offers 'significant employment opportunities' with up to 500 workers needed during the peak of construction but challenges exist to maximising the local workforce.
The project is expected to support hundreds of jobs during construction, and will provide locally based, permanent roles once operational.
Years three and four of construction will see the largest number of people on site – over 500 workers each year.
Statkraft’s own projections point to 60% of those construction roles as either skilled or semi-skilled, including in civil engineering and tunnel engineering.
Additionally, there will be over 120 people employed in non-construction positions like health and safety, accountancy, and other management and support roles.
The report notes that Loch na Cathrach is just one of a number of similar projects proposed in the area, that may enter construction over the next few years and that there is a risk of demand for skills outstripping current levels of supply.
It suggests training providers, such as UHI, should consider the profile of skills needed so that they can create or adjust their courses accordingly, noting that there have been no large-scale hydro schemes developed in the area in decades.
It also calls for developers like Statkraft to work with industry competitors in ‘co-opetition’ – collaborating in order to develop the pool of available labour and skills, for the mutual benefit of a range of projects.
Large-scale schemes like Loch na Cathrach have a significant impact on clean energy targets, but if its opportunities are harnessed correctly, it can have a much wider impact.
Local employment opportunities mean people can stay in the local area, leading to investment in housing, transport, and amenities, and a much wider legacy left by renewable projects beyond clean energy.
Challenges and Opportunities
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Skills competition will become acute
Competition for skills will become more acute as the pipeline of renewable energy developments is realised.
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Skills provision must be industry-led and responsive
Skills provision must be clearly signposted and led through close collaboration with education and training providers.
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Target skilled local workforce through contracting process
Opportunity for Statkraft to target a skilled local workforce and consider local skills content through contracting process with Tier 1 supply chain.
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Opportunity to pursue co-opetition approach to skills
Opportunity to pursue a ‘co-opetition’ approach to skills development to maximise mutual benefit.
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Work-based learning will be key
Maximising the potential for work-based learning and training through experience as a key part of the solution.
We stand ready to play our part, ensuring the local workforce are informed and can meet the demand for this and other similar projects in the area
Our Commitment
The report has highlighted the skills gap that exists to build the Loch na Cathrach pumped storage hydro project. It has also pointed to the opportunities that exist to work together with industry, government and education providers to help increase the local workforce for this and similar projects in Scotland.
Getting this right brings a myriad of benefits and opportunities.
We are committed to investing in the UK, contributing to its clean energy targets whilst also bringing lasting benefits to the region. Our approach in the Highlands will focus on three key themes:
WORKFORCE - Collaborating to support the growth of regional businesses and suppliers.
SKILLS - Creating opportunities to enable more training and upskilling.
LEGACY - Leaving an enduring economic, environmental, and societal legacy.
Loch na Cathrach Pumped Storage Hydro
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