Energy / Outrage in Voe – community gives thumbs down to pylons and new substation
IT HAS been described as an unstoppable juggernaut that drives through Shetland villages, and Thursday’s information event by SSEN Transmission on its Kergord 2 and Shetland AC Connections projects confirmed just that.
Councillors and the council in general are now openly admitting they are powerless in trying to meaningfully influence the size and speed of energy developments in the isles.
‘Limited power to control energy developments and no power to stop it’
This is particularly true when it comes to the infrastructure work SSEN Transmission is required to carry out in support of proposed large offshore wind farms and other developments.
All they can do is trying to limit the impact on local communities, they freely admit, in the hope that some of the proposed large energy projects might never happen.
The newly formed Voe Community Development Association called on the local community to turn out in strength to express their feelings at what is planned for the village – and they certainly did on Thursday.
“Yes, it is late in the day, but some of us have been arguing this for years,” Julia Odie said.
“People are realising that their lifestyle is being disrupted, and the nail in the head was when they [SSEN Distribution] shut the road to the North Isles with very little warning. Nobody knew that it was happening, not even the councillors,” local resident Sheena Cook added.
The information event was initially planned for early October but due to poor weather it was postponed until now, enough time to mobilise the village.
“We have been kept in the dark about a lot of things and people are suddenly realising what is going to happen here,” Cook said.
“They are compartmentalising all the information, so that one pocket of people doesn’t know, but now we are putting the information out and telling everybody.”
Resident John Goddard added: “Sullom Voe was built in one place, but this is spread out, it is everywhere and will inconvenience everybody at some time and for a long time.
“These information events should be in all of the halls in the north mainland with all of the information for the whole area.”
What happened in Voe on Thursday is mirrored in many communities across the Highland and Islands where infrastructure projects as part of the green energy transition are disrupting rural life.
Earlier this week, SIC convener and councillor for the Shetland North ward, Andrea Manson said the council should not “roll over” and let energy developers do what they want on the isles.
SSEN Transmission lead project manager Alan Kelly admitted that naming the planned new substation Kergord 2 had been misleading, as the preferred location for the complex is nowhere near Kergord – but just south of Setter off the B9071 road to Aith.
Two lines of 28 metre high pylons will run from the south end of the Kergord valley to connect the existing Kergord substation with the new one proposed for Voe.
But the biggest bone of contention is the proposed line of 38 metre high pylons that could run through the village to connect Kergord 2 with a new proposed Northern Substation Hub in the North Mainland to link into the second subsea cable.
Kelly said if enough people formally object to the various routes proposed for the pylons, he and his team will use that as evidence to go back to regulator Ofgem and ask for more money to bury the lines for at least some of the distance.
“The project need has been confirmed. So, we – SSEN – need to link Kergord 1 with a hub in the north of the islands to support the offshore wind farms in the East and the Yell wind farms to the north,” he explained.
“That is going to happen as we have an obligation to do that.
“What is looks like, where the overhead lines go, and if there is any undergrounding of cable, that is what we are listening about.
“We have got an obligation to deliver something that is economic and efficient, and we need to justify anything that is not the most economical solution.
“By gathering the public’s outrage – I think we can call it that – we can take that feedback to justify why we need more money. We are here to properly listen.”
He added: “What is important to understand is that we use the responses that come via the feedback form in the booklet and the feedback e-mail address as evidence and show that to Ofgem.
“That is why genuinely we are pleased that there are so many people in the room tonight, because we are getting lots of forms filled in.
“We can’t use Facebook comments – that is not evidence that we can give to our regulator.”
Council convener Manson was one of four elected members present during the 90 minutes this correspondent attended the event. SNP candidate Hannah Mary Goodlad was also there.
“Is it not the case that by splitting the projects into areas, they (SSEN Transmission] are also splitting the community,” Manson wondered.
Kelly however said it was the planning process that required that different project elements were presented to different communities, adding that SSEN and other developers had hosted an overall Shetland strategy event in Lerwick in September.
Another Kergord substation and larger pylons being considered by SSE
Meanwhile Shetland North councillor Andrew Hall suggested rather than having seven separate impact assessments, there needs to be one comprehensive impact assessment for the north of Shetland.
“You need to look at the various projects all together, we need one all-encompassing and comprehensive impact assessment,” he said.
And he was sceptical whether Ofgem/SSEN would be prepared to change their minds on burying the lines if enough people would come forward with objections to the proposed pylons.
“I wish I could believe that,” he said, “but sorry, I am a realist.
“I have spoken to hundreds of people as I am attending all these events – people are asking for things, but SSEN’s general comeback is that Ofgem would not pay for it.”
The feedback period for the Shetland AC connection project – the pylons – is open until 8 January 2026.
The company can be contacted at SSEN Transmission, Stewart Building, Lerwick, e-mail: shetlandengagement@sse.com or at https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/northern-shetland-kergord
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