THE owner of the Liberty House metals giant has bought Green Highland Renewables and announced plans to develop more hydro power plants in Scotland, write Mark Williamson.

Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG alliance agreed to buy Perth-based Green Highland Renewables from the Ancala Partners private equity firm in what is thought to have been a multi-million pound deal.

GFG said the acquisition will give it control of a business that operates 18 hydro plants in the Highlands with a highly-regarded team of 17 engineers, operators and designers.

The group said it also planned to develop a further eight hydro power plants on its Lochaber Highland estate lands. The planning process is due to start in 2018.

Mr Gupta said GFG intends to be a standard bearer for ‘clean growth’’ in the economy.

GFG bought mining giant Rio Tinto’s Fort William aluminium smelter and associated hydro facilities in a £330m deal last December.

In April last year it took over the Clydebank and Dalzell steel mills six months after conglomerate Tata Steel said it was mothballing the sites.

The group has proposed to develop a wind farm at Glenshero in the Highlands using steel rolled at the Dalzell plant in Motherwell.

London-based Ancala bought GHR in 2015 as a platform for growth in the sector.