Shetland Islands Get Giant Wind Farm

The Viking wind farm will be built on the Shetland Islands, where the company intends to take advantage of the excellent wind conditions, which result in an estimated utilisation rate of approximately 48%. Once constructed, it will be the largest onshore wind farm in the UK, measured by annual electricity production, which is expected to be around 1.9 TWh per year, and will therefore play a key role in achieving the UK and Scottish net zero targets, the company said.

Now all that remains is to grant the transmission link from Shetland to the British mainland, and then there is nothing to stop construction. Construction work for the release of the transmission link has already begun, while work on the wind farm is scheduled to begin in late summer.

Managing Director of SSE Renewables, Jim Smith, said: “Viking wind farm will help kickstart the green economic recovery, bringing much needed low-carbon investment to Shetland. In doing so, it will trigger the building of the associated transmission connection to the islands, which will itself help resolve longstanding security of supply issues on the island”. 

Scottish Government Energy Minister, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “This is excellent news for Shetland, and for Scotland’s renewable energy and climate change ambitions. The Viking wind farm project is also a great symbol for the green recovery that the Scottish Government is determined to foster and encourage, as we move through and beyond the current Coronavirus pandemic.