Energy / North Mainland energy park reduces turbines in response to community feedback
Local electricity discount scheme also set to be offered through Neshion project
FEWER turbines and an electricity discount scheme for nearby residents – Shetland Aerogenerators presented its updated vision for the Neshion Energy Park on Tuesday afternoon.
The plans will now include just eight turbines – down from 10 – in response to environmental concerns about nearby watercourse and feedback from the public about the visual impact.
Shetland Aerogenerators, which is leading a joint venture on the project, stressed it was still “fine-tuning” its energy park plans as they develop.
The engagement event, in Mossbank Public Hall, came on the back of two major announcements about the Neshion project.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed with Veri Energy to potentially use energy from the development, which will also include a 25MW battery energy storage system, to supply a low carbon fuel plant at Sullom Voe Terminal in years to come.
And the first details have been unveiled about a local electricity discount scheme (LEDS) for the area.
That scheme will see offer eligible homes and businesses in Toft, Brough, Mossbank, Firth and Graven offered a discount on their electricity bills.
Neshion project manager Andi Grochowski said the scheme was in direct response to feedback from residents after their first engagement event in March.
“A lot of people were asking, ‘how can this benefit me?’” she told Shetland News.
“We had a really great response to our survey, and the overwhelming response was that people said their energy bills were really high.
“So that was something we really committed to, and hopefully the community can see that this is something they asked for and we’ve delivered on.”
Staff from Shetland Aerogenerators have been visiting Toft residents in recent months to explain their plans for the scheme, which is expected to generate 50MW of electricity.
There were few in attendance when Shetland News visited on Tuesday afternoon, but Grochowski said they were confident that people in the area were very much onboard with the plans now.
The LEDS scheme will work with any electricity supplier, Shetland Aerogenerators has said, with the discount either credited directly to the person’s account or as vouchers for pre-payment meters.
Grochowski stressed that more community benefits could be coming down the line too, with partnerships with local organisations, support for local education and training and contributions to community funds or charities all floated as possibilities.
Shetland Aerogenerators is also set to offer a five per cent stake in the Neshion project to community groups – with a meeting with Delting Community Council arranged for this week.
The decision to remove two of the 200m turbines from the plans has been taken on partly ecological and partly visual grounds, Grochowski said.
She admitted that would have an impact on “how much money goes into community benefit”.
“Eight [turbines] is ideal for the project size,” she said, “but 10 would have been great.
“Ten is very much what we would have liked, but eight is where we are.”
Several other prospective energy projects are also progressing, including plans for a district heating scheme in Brae and a hydrogen hub at the former Scatsta airport.
Asked whether these were projects that Neshion could also link into, Grochowski said she “didn’t think they are out of the question”.
However she stressed that at the moment they had an MoU with Veri, and that was the project they were pursuing.
She said she felt Tuesday’s event was less well attended than the one in March because there had been “less information”, and maybe more local concern, at the time.
And she said they would continue to engage with local residents as the plans progressed.
“This isn’t the final lay-out, we’re still fine-tuning this,” she said.
Shetland Aerogenerators expects to submit a planning application for the Neshion site in early 2026, once an environmental impact assessment is completed.
If approved, construction could then take place between 2028 and 2030. The estimated lifespan of the energy park is 40 years.
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.
