Aegir waits for interconnector

SWEDISH energy giant Vattenfall are waiting for Shetland’s controversial Viking Energy wind farm to be approved before buying their first wave generator to site off the islands.

Vattenfall announced on Thursday they had signed up the last remaining berth at Orkney’s European Marine Energy Centre in the hope of testing the Pelamis-2 prototype wave machine in 2014.

However the company will only proceed with their ‘up to 10 megawatt’ Aegir project off Shetland’s south west coast if a £300 million cable is laid to connect the isles to the national grid.

The cable hinges on the Scottish government approving the 457MW Viking Energy wind farm.

The company’s Veijo Huusko said: “The final decision on purchasing a machine for testing will, in part, be based on our expectation of there being an interconnector cable being laid between the Shetland Islands and the Scottish mainland.”

The Aegir project is being carried out in partnership with Shetland Islands Council and Shetland Charitable Trust with the hope of expanding in the future.