The Shetland Islands have been linked to the wider electricity grid of Great Britain for the first time through the completion of the Viking Wind Farm and a new 260-kilometer subsea transmission cable.
The Viking Wind Farm, developed by SSE Renewables, marks a significant advancement in renewable energy with its 103 Vestas turbines generating an installed capacity of 443MW. This capacity is expected to generate approximately 1.8 TWh of electricity annually, enough to supply nearly 500,000 homes. This development is part of a £1 billion investment by SSE towards the UK’s clean energy infrastructure.
The Shetland Islands are notable for being the windiest part of the UK, which makes it an ideal location for a wind farm, as it means the turbines will almost constantly be producing at least some energy – provided that they’re not manually turned off, of course, as is the case for many wind farms across the UK. That means the Viking Wind Farm has been given the notable distinction as being the UK’s most productive onshore wind farm in terms of annual electricity output.
While the wind farm will be able to generate a significant amount of clean electricity, the new 260km subsea cable, laid by SSEN Transmission, is arguably the more important development. It forms a crucial link between Shetland and the mainland, allowing for efficient energy transfer and enhancing grid stability. This initiative not only supports the local economy in the Shetland Islands but also bolsters energy security by facilitating energy flow to and from the mainland.
John Swinney, First Minister of Scotland, remarked on the project’s broader implications,”The completion of these projects is a significant step in unlocking the green energy potential of the Shetland islands. These developments will not only aid us in our efforts to decarbonise our energy system, but help to stimulate sustainable economic growth in the local area. It is welcome that Scotland’s onshore wind capacity continues to expand. This is a vital component of our mission to bring about a just transition to net zero.”
Ed Miliband, UK Energy Secretary, also took the time to highlight the potential national benefits of the project, “By Switching on Viking, hundreds of thousands of homes in the Shetlands and right across the country will benefit from cheap, homegrown energy, and this project has created jobs and growth for local communities.
“This shows why we need more developments like this to make Britain a clean energy superpower – and that is why we lifted the onshore wind farm ban in our first 72 hours in Government. This will be a crucial part of delivering our mission for clean power by 2030 – reducing our reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets, boosting our energy independence and protecting consumers.”
Wider benefits for the Shetland Islands
The Viking Wind Farm and the subsea link are not only boosting the energy security of the Shetland Islands, but they’ve also had an impact on the local economy, creating approximately 650 jobs during peak construction and injecting £125 million into the Shetland economy. The ongoing operation of the wind farm is expected to support 35 permanent roles and generate over £70 million in local economic contributions over its lifetime.
Furthermore, the Viking Community Fund, managed by local community representatives, is set to distribute over £72 million to nearly 200 local projects, focusing on areas such as youth programs, housing, and transportation.
Crossing the 30 GW threshold for wind power
The Viking Wind Farm is also notable for allowing the UK’s onshore and offshore wind capacity to cross the 30 GW threshold, adding an additional 443 MW. That means the UK’s total wind capacity now stands at 30,299MW.
Alistair Phillips-Davies, SSE Chief Executive, expressed the significance of this milestone, “Delivery of both the Viking Wind Farm and Shetland HVDC Transmission link are big engineering achievements and together represent a major milestone on the UK’s path to a clean energy system. Shetland and the wider North Sea have long supported the country’s energy security and now they are playing a significant role in decarbonising our power system. But it has taken nearly two decades for these projects to move from concept to completion and if we are serious about delivering clean power by 2030 – less than 2,000 days away – we need to make it much easier and faster to build this kind of mission-critical infrastructure.”
Dan McGrail, Renewable UK Chief Executive, also emphasised the project’s importance, “When the Viking project was first conceived nearly twenty years ago, the UK’s wind capacity stood at less than five gigawatts, and turbines were around 75% less efficient than they are now. Reaching the milestone of 30GW is a phenomenal achievement for the entire industry and further underlines the fact that wind is now the backbone of our future energy system, having generated a record 28% of our electricity last year.”