widget/exchange-29
widget/exchange-30widget/exchange-33
widget/exchange-31

Energy / Viking wind farm hit by cabling setback

SSE Renewables confident setback will not impact on wind farm’s progress

Cabling on top of the Mid Kames ridge for the Viking Energy wind farm. Photo: Dave Donaldson for Viking Energy

THE INSTALLATION of the cabling for the Viking Energy wind farm project has been suspended after “anomalies” were detected on parts of the “underground medium-voltage cable”.

Contractors have been involved in laying a complex network of cables to connect the wind farm to the converter station at Kergord for the last few months.

French cable manufacturer Nexans has now confirmed what local rumours have been suggesting for some time.

A company spokesperson said installation had been suspended by joint decision.

“In consultation with SSE, we have decided to perform an on-site quality checking of the cables, and potential affected cables will be repaired or replaced,” they said.

“We are in very close contact with our client, and the success of this project, important for everyone and the whole Shetland community, is our priority.”

Critics of the project however have been suggesting that the cables supplied might be of inferior quality.

offset-carousel/post-mobile/0

Chairperson of Sustainable Shetland Frank Hay said: “Perhaps quality should have had a higher priority in the tendering process for the cable, cheapest is not always the best option.

“Once again resources for the wind farm have been sourced from abroad where manufacturing standards may not be as high as in the UK

“Viking’s recent boast that the project is on time and on budget is maybe a case of counting chickens before they are hatched.”

However, project owner SSE Renewables said on Tuesday morning that remedial work is not expected to affect the overall progression of the project.

“We remain on course to commence operations in 2024,” a company spokesperson said.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
widget/pd_widget-6widget/pd_widget-7widget/exchange-53widget/exchange-54widget/pd_widget-8widget/exchange-55widget/pd_widget-9widget/exchange-56

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.