Gas plant resumes production after fault
THE SHETLAND Gas Plant has restarted production after a heating fault caused the facility to shut down earlier this month.
Co-owner Kistos confirmed the export of gas was safely restarted on 16 December following repairs.
Production was shut down on 5 December due to a failure with a heating system.
Operator TotalEnergies said this released steam into the air, which was seen many miles away across Shetland.
The flare system also went into action due to the shutdown.
Gas plant shut down after heating system failure causes steam release
An eyewitness living nearby said they heard a loud noise at the time, adding that the flare flame reached a large height.
TotalEnergies had confirmed personnel were called to muster and that everyone was safe and well following the incident.
Both the Health and Safety Executive and Scottish Environment Protection Agency said they were aware of the incident and were making enquiries.
The gas plant, located near Sullom Voe Terminal, takes in gas from fields to the West of Shetland.
The facility processes the gas before it is piped onwards to the Scottish mainland.
When the site opened in the mid 2010s TotalEnergies said the plant would provide around eight per cent of the UK’s gas needs.
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