Deal Marks Win-Win for Shetland Islands Windfarm and Wave Farms

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources Europe (Galway, Ireland)--Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has granted consent to a Scottish and Southern Energy (PINK:SSEZY) (SSE) (Perth, Scotland) and Viking Energy Limited (Lerwick, Shetland) joint venture for a 370-megawatt (MW) windfarm on Shetland. It is good news for the Viking Energy Partnership and has additional benefits for a nearby wave farm.

The windfarm will allow the construction of an interconnector cable between the Shetland Isles and the Scottish mainland, facilitating the export of electricity to the national grid. This interconnector is vital for the 10-MW Aegir wave farm being developed off the west coast of Shetland by Aegir Wave Power, a joint venture between Pelamis Wave Power (Edinburgh, Scotland) and Vattenfall AB (Stockholm, Sweden). For additional information on Aegir, see March 22, 2102, article - Vattenfall Unveils New Wave Energy Plans in Scotland.

Aegir Project Development Manager Andrew Scott said: "This is fantastic news for the future development of our 10-MW Aegir Wave Farm, and a big step forward to securing grid connection for marine projects in Shetland."

The Viking windfarm will span the hills and moors of Shetland's main island, where the onshore wind speeds are frequently the highest in Europe. One small turbine on a hill north of Lerwick already holds a world record for its efficiency, reaching 59% of its potential output, thanks to the consistently powerful winds which sweep Shetland.

The project received 2,772 objections, both from local residents and conservation groups. Protestors at Sustainable Shetland said any scheme should be much smaller and designed to supply local energy needs. The 370-MW capacity is expected to generate enough energy for 175,000 homes, which is 16 times the number of homes on Shetland. The project has been cut in size from 127 turbines to 103, to protect safety for Scatsta airport near Sullom Voe oil terminal.

Councillor Bill Manson, chairman of Viking Energy Partnership, said: "This is good news for Shetland, good news for Scotland, and good news for the fight against climate change."

The scheme is expected to cost about £566 million ($897 million) and is due to become operational in 2017.

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