Voith Hydro said it acquired a majority shareholding of Green Highland Renewables (GHR) in Scotland, to expand its business in the fields of maintenance and operation and development of hydropower facilities.
Voith said the two companies already have collaborated on several plants, until now separated through their respective scopes of supply. Voith Hydro supplied electromechanical equipment and GHR was responsible for development activities, service and on-site operations. GHR is a leading hydro company in the United Kingdom, especially in the segment of small hydro facilities with up to 20 MW of total capacity, Voith said.
“Our customers will benefit from a new single source approach and we together will be able to accompany them through the entire project lifecycle – including plant operation. Apart from that, there is still a lot of room for growth for both of us,” said Moritz von Plate, head of Voith Hydro’s HyService business unit. For example, he said that GHR’s presence in Scotland will offer a basis to service larger hydropower projects and for its entry into international markets where Voith Hydro is already active.
GHR started as developer for small hydropower projects in 2007. The company has about 50 commissioned hydropower stations throughout Scotland. As a full-scope service provider, GHR supports plant owners with long-term, turnkey service contracts, performing monitoring, technical management, regular maintenance, and commercial and administrative management of the plants.
The company has about 40 plants under management, ranging from several hundred kilowatts to almost 20 MW in capacity. The organizational structure and management of GHR will remain entrepreneurial in nature and operate under the established GHR brand, Voith said.
The Voith Group is a global technology company in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport and automotive. The Voith Hydro group division is a full-line supplier for equipping hydropower plants all over the world.
