THE final turbine has been installed in Shetland at what will be the UK’s most productive onshore wind farm.
A total of 103 Vestas V117 4.3MW wind turbines now stand at the £566 million Viking Wind Farm site on the island, with main contractor RJ McLeod commencing work on the build of the site just over three years ago.
The installations of the turbines got underway in February 2023 and in just over six months the project team has successfully installed all 103 turbines. SSE Renewables said that, over the last month, the project has progressed at an ‘impressive pace’, with the final turbine installed ahead of schedule, with it originally due to be complete in autumn.
Over 280 convoys delivered more than 1,000 turbine components during the six-month spell. SSE Renewables said that ‘very challenging’ weather conditions were experienced throughout the installation period, with frequent heavy rain and the biggest snow storm to hit Shetland in over 20 years, as well as rolling fog which ‘drastically’ reduced visibility across the site.
However, the organisation said that the biggest challenge was the wind – with speeds often reaching over 78 mph. The team worked to track every weather window over the last six months, allowing them to continue to make significant progress, whilst safely lifting each component in place.
SSE Renewables added that the project remains on track for completion in 2024, with commissioning works set to continue over the next year. When fully operational, Viking’s 103 Vestas turbines will operate in 4.3MW power mode and comprise 443MW of installed wind-powered capacity, capable of generating up to 1.8TWh of renewable electricity annually – enough to power almost half a million typical British homes, including every home in Shetland. This means Viking Wind Farm will be the UK’s most productive onshore wind farm in terms of annual electricity output when complete.
The organisation added that the success of the project ‘would not have been possible’ without the support of Shetland contractors and suppliers, who have worked alongside RJ McLeod, SSE Renewables, and Vestas. Around 400 jobs were created during peak construction and Vestas is now awarding contracts and recruiting long-term local operations and maintenance teams.
SSE Renewables’ onshore renewables development and construction director, Heather Donald, said, “We’re reaching the point in the Viking Wind Farm project where we are celebrating key milestones which just shows the good progress we are making. The weather in Shetland has been challenging at times so achieving the installation of the final turbine ahead of schedule is testament to the hard work and commitment of those involved.
“Reaching this landmark milestone underlines our strategy to lead the transition to a net zero future through the world-class development, construction and operation of renewable power assets. Viking will be capable of producing enough energy to power the equivalent of almost half a million homes including every home in Shetland and is on course for completion in 2024.”
Anne Séméria, onshore construction director UK & Ireland for Vestas, added, “The team has worked hard over the past six months to ensure the turbines are built safely and to a high quality. It has been a real team effort to optimize our installation plans and take advantage of the good weather. We would like to thank everyone involved for their passion, commitment and high standards and we look forward to Viking Wind Farm being fully operational next year as it will play a crucial role in contributing towards achieving the UK and Scotland’s net zero targets.”
