Eight completed, 95 more to go – meeting hears update on Viking turbine installation
EIGHT Viking Energy turbines are now completed, with more than 30 currently under construction.
The update was given at a meeting of the Viking Energy community liaison group on Tuesday evening.
The first turbine was completed earlier this month west of Kergord.
Once the blades are fitted the height from the bottom of each turbine to the tip of the blade will reach up to 155 metres.
A total of 103 turbines are due to be installed, with the wind farm set to go live in 2024.
SSE Renewables’ stakeholder manager Aaron Priest also told the liaison group that the amount of money spent in the local economy on the Viking project is expected to “greatly exceed” what was predicted previously.
More than £50 million has been spent through local contractors and suppliers so far.
There are also expected to be around 200 staff working on the turbines through manufacturer Vestas and subcontractors Flex Wind and FairWind by the end of the month.
But the arrival of the turbines on Shetland’s landscape has generated a decidedly mixed response from people in the community.
Shetland News recently gathered views of residents as the turbine installation progresses.
Work on the subsea cable which will link Shetland to the national grid on the Scottish mainland and allow the Viking Energy wind farm to export power south is also continuing.
However, around while work in Weisdale Voe – where the cable comes ashore – is all but done, around 150 metres of cable still needs to be buried there after shallow water trenching failed due to unsuitable equipment for the seabed conditions.
The meeting heard that contractor NKT will come up with a new solution this week, and this may include the use of divers.
A question presented from local residents also suggested there has been damage to the Cott Road in Weisdale through the use of heavy vehicles.
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