SSE Renewables confirmed yesterday (6 June) that the first power has been generated at its 443MW Viking Wind Farm in Shetland, Scotland.
According to SSE, once the wind farm is fully operational, it will be the “UK’s most productive onshore wind farm” with an annual generation capacity of around 1.8TWh.
Construction of the farm began in the autumn of 2020, and the last of the 103 Vesta turbines was installed at the site in August 2023.
“This latest milestone is another step towards cleaner, more secure, homegrown power for Shetland, Scotland and the UK,” said Heather Donald, SSE Renewables’ onshore renewables development and construction director.
“Once again, our expert teams have shown what can be achieved in the development, construction and operation of world-class renewable power assets as we look to lead the transition to a net zero future.”
Shetland HVDC Link continues development
The milestone comes as Shetland prepares to be fully connected to the GB electricity transmission grid for the first time. The 260km Shetland High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) subsea cable project, being delivered separately by SSEN Transmission, is nearing full energisation and is expected to be completed later this summer.
“The first flow of power from Shetland to the mainland on the Shetland HVDC link is a key moment for the Shetland community. Full energisation, linking Shetland to the GB transmission system for the first time will be crucial in delivering Shetland’s energy security as well as enabling extensive renewable generation development and export,” John Scott, SSEN Transmission’s programme director.
“A tremendous collective effort from our teams so far, we can now look forward to working through the remaining commissioning phases of the project before it is fully energised later this summer.”
