Energy / ‘Greener grid’ project could deliver community benefit of £20k a year
People can give their views on Statkraft’s proposals in person and online
A COMMUNITY benefit fund worth £20,000 a year could come Shetland’s way through plans for new electricity infrastructure in Lerwick.
The figure is contained in consultation material being showcased both in person and online by Statkraft for its Lerwick Greener Grid Park project.
People can hear more about the proposals at the Islesburgh Community Centre in Lerwick today (Thursday) through to 7.30pm in room nine.
Alternatively, a virtual exhibition is available online until 29 September.
The development would be located in Lerwick’s Lower Blackhill Industrial Estate, and it would comprise of battery modules with a capacity of up to 50MW and two synchronous compensators.
The brochure presented as part of the consultation highlights that the key aim of the proposal is to ensure continuity of electricity supply once Shetland is connected to the national grid by the HVDC transmission link.
If the subsea cable is in maintenance or if it trips, the diesel-powered Lerwick Power Station – which is going into standby mode in 2024 – will be used to supply Shetland.
But Statkraft says this will take “some time” to start up, with the greener grid project designed to step in to cover Shetland’s needs until the power station is online.
The Norway based company – which is the developer behind the proposed Energy Isles wind farm in Yell – is bidding into a competitive tender process run by Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD) to deliver what is called the ‘Shetland Standby’ service.
A planning application is expected to be submitted this winter and if it gets the green light the development could be up and running come 2025.
The grid park would be located in the same area as SSE’s planned new grid supply point, which would support the local network once the transmission link launches.
The subsea interconnector cable, which will run between Weisdale Voe and Caithness on the Scottish mainland, will allow the 103-turbine Viking Energy wind farm to export power.
It works both ways, so power will be able to be imported into Shetland when the turbines are not turning.
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