Energy / Cable route a ‘big focus’ for offshore wind developer as preparations continue
THE DEVELOPER of one of the offshore wind farms proposed to the east of Shetland insists its ears are open to concerns from the public during the planning phase – with cabling routing said to be a “big focus” for the company just now.
Irish developer ESB is proposing the 500MW Stoura wind farm to the east of mainland Shetland, near to the larger 2.3GW Arven development.
ESB held a public exhibition in September and project director Cian Desmond said views gathered from that will feed into the planning process.
When asked by Shetland News about concerns from some that large energy developments may be pushed through regardless, Desmond said ESB has a history of community consultation.
“We get involved in the community, we find out what people’s concerns are, and come up with ways to address that,” he said.
ESB has also had three three-hour workshops with statutory and non-statutory consultees, and this will help to “detail the approach that we’re going to use for our environmental impact assessment (EIA)”.
“What we’re doing is we’re writing a report which is bringing all that information together,” he explained.
“That will be going out into the public domain for consultation – we’re hoping to get that out by the end of June.”
Desmond said the hope is that a determination on that report will influence the EIA, with consent potentially coming around the end of 2028.
A key concern is the impact offshore wind farms will have on fishing.
The north half of the Stoura site has been described as “prime” whitefish and pelagic fishing grounds.
Regarding fisheries, Desmond claims there is a “very open approach to working together and understanding what the impact of the wind farm is likely to be”.
“We’re very happy how the engagement is going with the fishing industry,” he added.
“We’ve got the NE1 fisheries forum, which is an opportunity for Arven and Stoura to sit down with the offshore pelagic fleet.
“We have that regular meeting with the main industry groups where we’re sharing our plans and sharing our data.”
Speaking last week, Shetland Fishermen’s Association executive officer Daniel Lawson agreed there has been an “open approach”.
“However, until the developer is able to confirm grid connection, cable routes, anchoring options and turbine siting then the impact on fishing remains an unknown,” he said.
“But, given the good fishing grounds being impacted, it will inevitably be notable.
“There are also environmental factors to consider, such as the impact of development on spawning grounds, or the impact of electromagnetic cables on the growth and movements of fish and shellfish, which have not had anywhere near enough scientific research to give fishermen confidence that the potential impacts are properly understood.”
Lawson added that the association will “keep working to minimise impacts, and encourage more research”.
In April the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) released advice on the economic, social and ecological impacts of offshore wind farms on fisheries.
ICES said offshore wind farms can disrupt fishing operations by restricting access to traditional fishing grounds, altering navigation routes, and increasing competition for space in already crowded waters.
Indirectly, they might influence fish stocks and marine ecosystems by introducing new structures, changing water currents, sound levels, and habitat conditions.
However ICES said the “science-base is not sufficient to quantify the impact of these indirect processes at fishery and ecoregion scales”.
The organisation also said there is no “one-size-fits-all answer” regarding the social and economic impact, with many variables including the type of wind farm, fishing regulations and the ability of different fisheries to adapt to changes.
Desmond said the report flags that data sharing and engagement is “key”.
Meanwhile exploring a cable route from the wind farm to the Shetland mainland remains a “big focus” for ESB as the team “hone in on the areas that we reckon that the cable is going to go through”.
Desmond said there have been 12 different landfalls mooted, with that number gradually being reduced.
“There is clarity coming […] but we have to go through the proper process,” he added.
He also confirmed that Shane Macken has joined the Stoura team as engineering lead.
Macken was the interface managed for ESB’s 1GW Inch Cape wind farm which is set to become operational in 2027.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party 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.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
