Statkraft to proceed with Mossy Hill wind farm as turbine delivery expected in 2029
WORK on tracks and hardstanding for Mossy Hill wind farm turbines should get underway next year.
Turbines would then be delivered to the site, located just outside of Lerwick, in 2029 – with plans for the wind farm to be “energised” in the summer that year.
The update was given to a meeting of the wind farm’s community liaison group in July.
John Thouless from developer Statkraft also confirmed that the company has made a final decision to go ahead with the wind farm, which will have eight turbines at a height of 145 metres.
Preparatory work recently got underway on a substation for the development near to the Ladies Drive junction off the A970, with a significant amount of excavation visible.
Minutes from another community liaison group meeting confirmed that plans for an office and information area on the wind farm site will not proceed.
This decision was said to be made “following Statkraft’s decision in 2025 to seek investors for its hydrogen projects”.
Other improved amenities across the site will go ahead, however, with information boards and access tracks through the site for walking and cycling.
Regarding potential grid constraints and the chances of the turbines not being able to export, minutes highlight how Thouless said that there could be “developments on the Scottish mainland which should alleviate any constrained operations in Shetland around the time Mossy Hill is commissioned”.
Community benefit is set to be £5,000 per megawatt (MW) index linked to CPI from March 2024.
The fund will be based on 36MW to 39.2MW in generation, depending on final turbine choice, with a meeting told it could pay out a minimum of £190,000 a year.
Minutes also said any offer for community shared ownership would normally be agreed around or after the financial close of the project, with any community ‘investment’ coming in once the project reaches commercial operation.
There have been previous discussions with communities, including Scalloway, around shared ownership.
With the capacity under 50MW, planning consent for Mossy Hill came down to councillors.
Back in 2019 they approved original plans for 12 turbines, but this number has since been reduced to eight.
The reduction in the number of turbines was approved by the planning service as a non-material variation.
The community liaison group features representatives of community councils in Scalloway, Lerwick and Tingwall, Whiteness and Weisdale.
Statkraft also has two other wind farms planned in Yell – the 18-turbine Energy Isles and the 17-turbine Beaw Field.
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