From northern winds to southern grids: the roadmap of Shetland’s energy | Shetland News

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From northern winds to southern grids: the roadmap of Shetland’s energy

This second piece of a series of articles by Erin Rizzato Devlin looks at national connections, mapping the journey of energy produced from a Viking wind turbine. This will follow the itinerary that the electricity produced in Shetland undergoes and show how this flows into the wider UK context.

23 September 2025

A large wind turbine blade is being transported on a truck through a grassy landscape with hills in the background.

Turbine blade delivered to Viking site

19 September 2025

A landscape featuring multiple wind turbines on a hilly terrain during sunset, with a winding road and a small body of water in the foreground.

Local winds, global storms: the journey of a Shetland wind turbine

One single turbine from the Viking wind farm connects Shetland to global, national and local impacts that are often overlooked. This is the first part of a small series of articles, contributed by Erin Rizzato Devlin as part of our PowerShift project, that investigates the challenges of the transition to net zero taking into account impacts in Shetland, Chile or China.

9 September 2025

A red cargo ship named "BALTIC WAVE" is docked at a port, carrying a large wind turbine blade on its deck. Hilly terrain and industrial buildings are visible in the background.

Viking wind farm turbine blades shipped to Lerwick

28 August 2025

Wind turbines on a hill overlooking a rural landscape with scattered houses and green fields under a cloudy sky.

Almost 40 per cent of potential wind power never reaches the grid

Why build more wind farms when the infrastructure is not in place, Sustainable Shetland chair questions

14 August 2025

Wind turbines on a hill overlooking a rural landscape with scattered houses and green fields under a cloudy sky.

Charitable trust could earn as much as £2 million from Viking investment, SSE confirms

7 August 2025

A group of wind turbines on a hill.

‘Planned outage’ of HVDC cable blamed for wind farm shutdown

31 July 2025

A sign reading “Welcome to Viking Energy Wind Farm” stands at the entrance, with wind turbines visible on a grassy, overcast landscape in the background.

Councillors approve wind farm car park plans despite ‘reservations’

23 April 2025

Sn letters - letter at Shetlandnews.

A terrible scandal

19 April 2025

Viking Energy’s power output drops to 17 per cent

14 April 2025

Wind turbines spread across a hilly landscape with a rainbow in the background.

‘Complaints are taken seriously’ – SSE responds to call for some turbines to be decommissioned

7 April 2025

A woman speaks at a table with three seated panelists during a public meeting, with a presentation slide about an acoustic science initiative displayed in the background.

‘Sally’s experience is not unusual’ – calls for turbines closest to homes to be decommissioned

4 April 2025

Impacted by turbine acoustic pollution

Following last night’s (Thursday) public meeting in the Tingwall Hall on turbine noise and adverse health impacts, Westside resident Dr Sally Huband provides some background for those who were unable to attend the meeting.

4 April 2025

A wind turbine with a broken blade stands on a barren landscape under a cloudy sky, with water and hills visible in the distance.

Work to replace damaged Viking blade to commence soon

15 March 2025

Turbine blade debris remains in hills months after damage

22 January 2025

A wind turbine with a broken blade stands on a barren landscape under a cloudy sky, with water and hills visible in the distance.

Replacement turbine blade to be delivered to Viking site

9 January 2025

Wind turbines on a snow-covered hill under a cloudy sky.

Viking third in list for unused energy in 2024 despite August opening

SSE earns £9.25m for keeping wind farm offline over five months

8 January 2025

A woman stands outdoors next to a book titled "The Shetland Way" by Marianne Brown, with a subtitle about community and climate crisis on Shetland Islands.

How do we reconcile change? Viking and the consequences

A Bristol based journalist has written the first book on the Viking wind farm, after being inspired to explore the topic after attending her dad’s funeral in Voe

6 January 2025

A wind turbine with a broken blade stands on a barren landscape under a cloudy sky, with water and hills visible in the distance.

SSE about to commence debris recovery from damaged Viking blade

12 December 2024

A rural landscape featuring a small road, two houses, and a large wind farm with multiple turbines on a hilly terrain under a cloudy sky.

Principal contractor on Viking project to be sentenced in relation to man’s death

10 December 2024

Investigations into damage to Viking turbine blade

31 October 2024

Community benefit scheme hailed a success as more than 200 projects funded

18 October 2024

Wind turbines in the scottish highlands.

SSEN denies Kergord fault speculation

17 October 2024

Lottie Robertson - her home will be surrounded by huge turbines.

Relief as SSE reverses decision to name turbine after Lottie Robertson

1 October 2024

A wind farm with multiple wind turbines stands on a vast, hilly landscape under a partly cloudy sky at sunset.

Viking paths not yet ready for walkers and cyclists

30 September 2024

Sn letters - letter at Shetlandnews.

Open letter to SSE: please listen to Lottie’s own words

30 September 2024

A series of wind turbines on a grassy hill with several houses and buildings in the foreground.

No change to Lottie turbine name, SSE says

Meanwhile a Viking Energy turbine is set to be named after a worker who died during its construction

27 September 2024

Four individuals wearing high-visibility clothing and hard hats stand on a gravel path near wind turbines in a hilly area.

SSE employees among those asking about cheaper energy bills, Scottish secretary says

20 September 2024

Landscape at dawn with several wind turbines situated on hills. Calm waters in the foreground reflect the turbines and the pastel-colored sky.

‘Exploited by a large multi-national, aided by a council that failed to take account of local concerns’

As the Viking Energy wind farm and interconnector are officially activated, retired teacher Frank Hay, the chair of Sustainable Shetland – the campaign group that has been opposing the wind farm project for more than 15 years – reflects on how this was achieved and at what cost.

19 September 2024

Sn letters - letter at Shetlandnews.

How fully were health concerns investigated?

16 September 2024

Wind turbines on a hill overlooking a rural landscape with scattered houses and green fields under a cloudy sky.

Charitable trust Viking investment pay-outs to be reported publicly in due course

12 September 2024

A wind farm with multiple wind turbines stands on a vast, hilly landscape under a partly cloudy sky at sunset.

Prime minister says constraint payments is a ‘problem we’re determined to fix’

4 September 2024

A woman with shoulder-length dark hair stands in front of a stone wall, wearing a black blazer with a small flag pin and a patterned top.

‘We need to shift the balance of fairness’, SIC leader says in speech at SSE event

3 September 2024

Wind turbines on a hill overlooking a rural landscape with scattered houses and green fields under a cloudy sky.

A short history of the Viking Energy wind farm project

3 September 2024

Wind turbines on a hill overlooking a rural landscape with scattered houses and green fields under a cloudy sky.

No major community benefit fund projects expected anytime soon

2 September 2024

A wind farm with multiple wind turbines stands on a vast, hilly landscape under a partly cloudy sky at sunset.

Breaking

Petition calls on councillors not to attend Viking celebration dinner

30 August 2024

A wind farm with multiple wind turbines stands on a vast, hilly landscape under a partly cloudy sky at sunset.

SSE celebrates completion of Viking Energy wind farm

The utility’s chief executive Alistair Phillips-Davies predicts huge benefits for the isles
Cheap wind energy will stabilise electricity prices, according to SSE
Company keen to develop further projects in the isles

29 August 2024

Sn letters - letter at Shetlandnews.

‘A sad day for many’

29 August 2024

A group of wind turbines.

SSE claims £2m in constraint payments as ‘consumers pay to keep the Viking wind farm idle’

27 August 2024

A rural landscape featuring a small road, two houses, and a large wind farm with multiple turbines on a hilly terrain under a cloudy sky.

Sergeant Swoosh and Lottie among names contributed by children for Viking turbines

22 July 2024

Sn letters - letter at Shetlandnews.

Disgraceful

22 July 2024

A landscape featuring multiple wind turbines on a hilly terrain during sunset, with a winding road and a small body of water in the foreground.

Milestone for SSE Renewables as Viking produces first power

6 June 2024

Eleven objections to proposed car park at Viking compound

31 May 2024

A rural landscape featuring a small road, two houses, and a large wind farm with multiple turbines on a hilly terrain under a cloudy sky.

Updated

Viking community fund business plan agreed as £2.2m a year scheme prepares to open

15 May 2024

Plans in for car park and picnic benches at wind farm compound site

10 May 2024

Aerial view of a construction site with earth-moving equipment on rugged terrain, featuring roads, a yellow site office, and workers.

Updated

Site work stood down as safety precaution after peat slide

8 May 2024

A group of wind turbines on a hill.

Arrangements for main Viking community benefit fund proposed

6 April 2024

Illustration of proposed tree planting areas to enhance biodiversity and landscape.

Seven-hectare woodland planned for Viking Energy borrow pit site

22 March 2024

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