New engine to be delivered to Lerwick Power Station

A NEW engine is being delivered to Lerwick Power Station to ensure security of supply until the 600MW interconnector between Shetland and the Scottish mainland is operational.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution said the 6MW Wartsila W12V32 unit, which weighs in at 97.5t, is a “multi-million pound investment”.

Lerwick Power Station is to move out of full duty operations around 2025 once Shetland is connected to the national grid for the first time.

The engine will be taken into Dales Voe by a specialist cargo vessel today (Tuesday) and it will be lifted by a 650-tonne crane and placed into storage before making the 2km journey to Lerwick Power Station.

The new engine will be used to complement full duty operations until the 600MW transmission link is in place.

In conjunction, SSEN is in the process of purchasing an 8MW battery which will also enhance the islands’ security of supply in the short-term. It will be delivered in the first half of 2021. 

The engine will be slowly transported by SPMT (self propelled modular trailer) with escort vehicles on 8 October and will take approximately 1.5 hours.

There is not expected to be any road closures as the load is only 3.3m wide and will be moved outside of peak times to minimise disruption to the local community.  

SSEN embedded generation manager for the north of Scotland Darren Hitchin said: “To guarantee security of supply to the homes and businesses in Shetland that depend on us, we need to invest in Lerwick Power Station to support full duty operations of the station until Shetland is connected to the GB system. 

“The delivery of the new engine is a complex operation, but we’re committed to minimising disruption as our specialist teams transport the engine to site. We’d like to thank the local community in advance for their patience.

“Looking ahead to our connection to the HVDC transmission link in 2025, we are currently reviewing options for an innovative and cost-effective backup solution to support security of supply and will be submitting analysis to Ofgem in the coming weeks for consideration.”