Energy / SSEN seeks approval for underground cabling after failing to reach land agreement
SSEN has asked the Scottish Government for the go-ahead to install underground cabling on two pieces of land on the outskirts of Lerwick.
After initially writing to landowners asking for voluntary approval, the company has now submitted applications to Scottish ministers for “necessary wayleaves” on the land near to the Ladies Drive junction with the A970.
It relates to underground cabling needed to connect the proposed Mossy Hill wind farm to the Kergord-Gremista electricity link to allow it to export power.
Landowners received letters in March saying SSEN was required to take the “procedural step of issuing a notice to you to grant a wayleave” due to project timescales.
A wayleave agreement is described on the company’s website as a “simple agreement between SSEN and a landowner to formalise consent for equipment to be located within their land along with access for maintenance, tree cutting etc”.
“In return, the landowner receives an annual or sometimes a one-off payment if they are not the sole beneficiary of the apparatus,” it said.
But SSEN has now lodged formal applications to be granted necessary wayleaves.
Regarding the applications, a SSEN Transmission spokesperson told Shetland News: “Our aim is always to secure voluntary agreements with landowners to secure access to land, however we apply for necessary wayleaves as a contingency, to ensure we can proceed in a timely manner and fulfil our commitments to deliver projects that are helping meet national clean energy and energy security ambitions.”
A supporting statement for the applications said SSEN has “been in ongoing discussions with all affected landowners in attempt to reach voluntary agreement – however, voluntary negotiations have not reached a successful outcome and accordingly applications for necessary wayleaves have been required”.
Letters were issued to landowners in early June requesting written statements “for and against the wayleave” by 25 June.
The Mossy Hill wind farm itself is not an SSEN development, as it is being developed by Norwegian firm Statkraft.
It would be located on the outskirts of Lerwick and it currently has planning permission for 12 turbines, although new proposals have revised that down to eight taller generators.
SSEN is involved by virtue of being the provider of transmission services in Shetland, and the north of Scotland.
The Mossy Hill wind farm would send out electricity at 33kV which will enter a proposed Statkraft substation near to the Ladies Drive junction, where the voltage would be stepped up to 132kV.
This electricity will then pass through an adjacent SSEN substation before being transmitted via proposed new 132kV underground cabling.
This would then link into the Kergord-Gremista 132kV cabling which SSEN has been working on to connect Shetland to the national grid for the first time via the installed subsea interconnector to the Scottish mainland.
The substation development was given planning approval by Shetland Islands Council earlier this month.
Final planning approval for wind farm substation development
The wayleave applications relate to two areas of land near to the Ladies Drive junction where underground cabling would be buried.
The length of cable in one area would be 96 metres, and in the other it would be 144 metres.
A supporting statement says the Mossy Hill development will “play a part in reducing the UK’s dependence on volatile global wholesale energy markets and facilitate the transition to net zero”.
It adds that the cabling proposed to be installed within the pieces of land are required to allow SSEN Transmission to meet its “statutory and licence obligations”.
Documents show that landowners were advised to contact the Scottish Government by 30 May if they wished to take part in a public hearing, or opt for a written submissions procedure.
The latest letter said no response was received, therefore a reporter will be appointed in due course to report to Scottish ministers, who will make the final decision on the application.
A previous letter to landowners added: “Landowners or occupiers sometimes object to the grant of a wayleave because they are unhappy with the compensation which has been offered.
“It may be helpful to be aware that as a matter of law, the level of financial compensation is not relevant to the issue of whether the wayleave should be granted on the above grounds, and will not be considered by the reporter or by ministers.
“Compensation issues are reserved to the jurisdiction of the Lands Tribunal for Scotland.”
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