Viking Wind Farm

Viking Wind Farm
Location of Viking Wind Farm in Scotland
Country	Scotland, United Kingdom
Location	Shetland Islands
Coordinates	60°18′24″N 1°13′15″W / 60.30661°N 1.22077°W / 60.30661; -1.22077Coordinates: 60°18′24″N 1°13′15″W / 60.30661°N 1.22077°W / 60.30661; -1.22077
Status	Consented
Construction cost	£700 million (estimated, 103 turbines)
Owner(s)	Viking Energy Shetland SSE
Wind farm
Type	Onshore
Hub height	90 m (300 ft)
Power generation
Make and model	Undecided. Application based on Siemens 3.6MW turbine
Nameplate capacity	Up to 457 MW
Website www.vikingenergy.co.uk

Viking Wind Farm is a proposed wind farm being developed by Viking Energy,^{[n 1]} a partnership between Viking Energy Shetland and SSE plc.

Initially proposed as a 150 turbine 600 MW project in 2009, the scheme had significant opposition, on grounds including effects on wildlife, and the general environment; part of the wind farm was also removed because of a potential interference with equipment at Scatsta Airport.

A 457MW wind farm received planning permission in 2012, but an objection by Sustainable Shetland was successful in Sep 2013 on licensing regulations relating to the 1989 Electricity Act. This was subsequently overturned by two higher courts in 2014 and 2015.

History

In 2005 SSE and Shetlands Island Council (via development company Viking Energy.^{[n 1]}) signed a memorandum of understanding to combined independent proposals for 300 MW wind farms on Mainland Shetland and jointly develop a large scale (600 MW) wind farm. The companies formalised the agreement in January 2007.^[2]

The council transferred its ownership to community charity Shetland Islands Charitable Trust (an organisation initially created to distribute income from oil installations on the island) and in 2009 Viking Energy submitted a planning application for 150 turbines (estimated 600 MW capacity) on the main island of Shetland.^[3]

In 2010 the plan was reduced in scope, with the number of turbines reduced to 127;^[4] the turbines were to be 3.6 MW machines with hub height of 90 metres (300 ft) and blade tip height of 145 metres (476 ft). The scope area of the wind farm was 129 km² (50 sq mi), of which only 104 ha (1.04 km²) would be permanently built upon, additionally the plan required construction of approximately 104 km of access roads, and the quarrying of 1,470,000 m³ (0.00147 km³) of rock, and the disturbance of between 650 and 900,000 cubic metres of peat.^[5] The development was dependent on the Shetland HVDC Connection being built connecting Shetland to the UK mainland's national grid.^[4] The cost of the connector was estimated at £300 million in late 2011; Viking Energy would be liable for 10% or less of the cost,^[6] other energy producing projects in Shetland, such as Aegir wave farm, were also dependent on the grid connector being built.^[7][8]

The scheme proved contentious with both significant opposition and support, receiving 2,772 formal objections and 1,115 in support, as well as objections from RSPB Scotland; in part due to concerns on its impact on the rare Whimbrel.^[9][10]

The converter station at Kergord for the HVDC link to the Scottish mainland reached an initial stage of planning consent in early 2011, after several previous attempts starting 2009.^[11] In April 2012 the Scottish Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism ), Fergus Ewing, granted planning permission for a 103 wind turbine development, withholding consent on 24 turbines in Delting Parish due to potential interference with equipment at Scatsta Airport, and limiting maximum height to 145 m (476 ft).^[5] The reduced development had an estimated capacity of up to 457 MW. The income from the development to shareholder Shetland Islands Trust was estimated at £20 million pa and the capital cost of the development was estimated at £556 million.^[9]

In September 2013 a ruling on an objection from Sustainable Shetland to the development held that the consent given under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 was incompetent because Viking Energy did not hold a license under the 1989 Act, and that the Scottish Ministers had failed to have proper regard to their obligations under the Birds Directive [2009/147/EC] to the protected Whimbrel species.^[12][13]

In October 2013 the Scottish Government signalled its intention to appeal the decision.^[14] In July 2014 appeal judges at Edinburgh's Court of Session announced that there was insufficient reason to stop the wind farm and gave the project the go-ahead.^[15] Sustainable Shetland appealed the decision at the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom but lost the appeal in February 2015.^[16] They were also refused leave to appeal to the European Court.^[16]

Design

The wind farm is to install 103 3.6 MW turbines.^[17] Turbines will be erected in Kergord, North Nesting, and South Nesting.^[9][18][19] Original proposals also included 24 turbines in the Delting area (refused 2012 consent.^[9]) and 23 turbines in the Collafirth area (removed from application.^[19]).

Estimated construction time for the 127 turbine farm was 5 years.^[20] The wind farm is expected to have a high utilisation rate, smaller wind turbines on the island having attained high capacity factors of over 50%.^[3][21]

Notes

References

Sources

• BMT Cordah Ltd, "Non-technical summary" (PDF), VIKING WIND FARM ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT ADDENDUM (Viking Energy Partnership), retrieved 8 April 2012 

External links

• Official website
  • "Downloads - Viking Energy", www.vikingenergy.co.uk , documentation
  • "Map of Site Layout" (PDF), www.vikingenergy.co.uk , map of 2010 application wind turbine placement