Power station standby plans on schedule for end of 2026

30 July 2026 15:45

LERWICK Power Station remains on track to move into standby mode at the end of the year, according to SSEN.

It comes after “good progress” was reported on the installation of a nearby battery storage system, which is a key element of the plans.

The 68MW development is part of SSEN’s plans to put the diesel-fuelled Lerwick Power Station in standby mode once the isles’ local network is connected to the national grid via the subsea HVDC cable, expected later this year.

A large industrial building with a tall smokestack stands beside a road, with smaller structures and trees in the foreground under a cloudy sky.

SHEAP headquarters with the Lerwick Power Station in the background. Photo: Shetland News

The Wartsila batteries – which will be able to absorb excess renewable energy – would help to keep Shetland’s lights on while the power station comes out of standby mode, which could take up to 45 minutes.

The power station would need to move out of standby in the event of planned or unplanned outages on the HVDC cable.

Earlier this year SSEN also reported that work on the new Kergord to Gremista electricity transmission link had completed – another key feature of the standby project.

Spanning 22km across overhead lines and underground cables, the 132kV connection provides a secure transmission route between a new Gremista grid supply point and the Kergord substation, where the subsea HVDC link connects to Shetland.

When asked for an update on the plans to put Lerwick Power Station into standby, SSEN said a comprehensive schedule of testing and commissioning will begin once construction of the battery system and associated infrastructure is complete.

Once this programme is completed and the Gremista site is operational, the power station will be able to move into standby.

This has previously experienced delays, with hopes in 2021 that the power station would go into standby in late 2024, for example.

The power station’s capacity stands at more than 70MW, and it was built in 1953.

The Kergord-Gremista project is separate to SSEN’s ongoing Shetland north reinforcement work, which is the cause of the many traffic lights on the A970 and Dales Lees roads in recent months.