Planning consent for second turbine on outskirts of Lerwick

PLANNING permission has been granted for a new wind turbine on the outskirts of Lerwick.

The turbine at North Hoo Fields would have a maximum tip height of 100m.

It would be located near to the existing 67m turbine on the site, which is to the left of the three-lane road when driving north out of Lerwick.

In 2019 North Fish (Shetland) Ltd, which owns the existing turbine, received planning permission for a second one with a height of 77m.

However, the new application for the larger 2.3MW turbine supersedes the old one.

The wind generation at North Hoo Fields provides additional power to a nearby biomass facility at the Gremista Industrial Estate, which dries wood for energy use.

North Fish director Angus Grains previously said that following unforeseen grid connection delays the model previously planned for the second turbine is no longer manufactured – leading to the new application.

Speaking in response to the latest planning approval, he said the new turbine could tie into forthcoming “innovative new business opportunities”.

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“We are very pleased our new wind generator has received planning permission,” Grains said.

“It will provide the energy needs for some innovative new business opportunities which we are working on at present.

“There are commercial discussions currently underway around these new opportunities, which we hope will come to fruition soon.

“If successful, the intent is to make significant inroads into decarbonising our community.

“The timing of the turbine development will depend on resolving challenges with grid access, which we and other local developers are hopeful can be overcome in the near future.”