Before you apply

Hydropower Guidance Notes and supporting information

Hydropower schemes can be complex and need to be designed and managed carefully to avoid unacceptable impacts on communities and the river environment. For example, changes to a river can increase the risk of flooding and have significant impacts on wildlife, especially fish.

We have published Hydropower Guidance Notes (HGNs) and Supporting Guidance Notes (SGN) below, which provide advice and technical guidance for designers and developers of hydropower schemes.

The  notes will also provide guidance on what you should do to comply with environmental and other legislation. We strongly recommend that you read this guidance before you start to choose the location and design of your schemes and before you make any pre application enquiries or formal applications.

You will need to apply for one or more licences, approvals or consents depending on the type of scheme you are proposing. These are needed to ensure your scheme has a low impact on the environment. They may include controls or conditions on your scheme including, for example, how much water you can abstract or impound, or environmental design requirements such as the need to build a fish pass or easement.