Burradale wind farm owners build new 3MW turbine on former SSE site

A family-owned firm has erected a large wind turbine on a site in Shetland acquired from energy giant SSE.

 Shetland Aerogenerators, operators of the 15-year-old Burradale Wind Farm, one of the most productive in the world, has put up a 3MW Enercon machine at Luggie’s Knowe near Lerwick. The tower, generator and blade sections were lifted into place by a 750-tonne Liebherr crane with a reach of 85m. The crane was transported to Shetland by the German turbine manufacturer specially for the lift. Commissioning work and grid connection will follow.

 With a tip height of 121m, the Enercon E-82 E4 is Shetland’s largest so far. The Viking Energy project has planning approval for slightly larger 3.6MW machines. Shetland Aerogenerators took over the development from SSE. Commercial funding for the project was arranged with Lombard Finance.

 The power from the turbine will be exported through SSE's Active Network Management system, which was introduced as part of the NINES (Northern Isles New Energy Solutions) project. NINES is designed to let more renewable sources feed in to the local electricity grid.

 Shetland Aerogenerators managing director Angus Ward said:

“We originally thought the project could only be built out next year but thanks mainly to the goodwill of SSE we've been able to bring everything forward. “The Enercon is a highly sophisticated machine which will continue producing clean electricity even in high wind conditions.”

 Director David Thomson added that the civil works, including excavations, construction of the access road and pouring of the concrete base, had been very ably carried out by local firm Garriock Bros while Orkney firm Bryan J Rendall is doing the specialist electrical works.

 “It’s very exciting and satisfying to see the project, which we've been working on for the past year, come to fruition and now we can look forward to the commissioning phase.”

Supreme court decision "about building future for grandchildren" says isles energy group

The Supreme Court's rejection of Sustainable Shetland's appeal against the Viking Energy windfarm in Shetland could mark the creation of a whole new industrial sector for the isles, according to a local energy firm.

The Shetland company Energy Isles, which is developing a wind farm project in Unst and Yell, welcomed the decision to let the Viking Energy project proceed.

Reacting to the final judgement issued by the Supreme Court in London, chairman Paul Riddell said Viking would open the door to further renewables projects that would significantly benefit Shetland communities. 

“It’s very rare that an island community with a successful but fragile economy gets to create a whole new sector, but that is what Viking and the interconnector will enable Shetland to do,” he said.

“This judgement gives Energy Isles the potential to bring much-needed income and employment to those areas of Shetland like Unst and Yell which are simply not benefiting from the current economic good times.”

He added: “It’s also about looking ahead 20, 30, 40 years and trying to build a future for our children and grandchildren when the world we take for granted today will have changed dramatically.” 

Last legal barrier to Viking Energy windfarm removed by Supreme Court

The UK’s final court of appeal  has dismissed an appeal against the Scottish Government's planning consent for the 103-turbine Viking Energy windfarm in Shetland, and declined to refer the case to the European Court of Justice.

Local campaign group Sustainable Shetland's argument that the effect on the population of Whimbrel was rejected.

The estimate of 3.7 annual

collision deaths was regarded as “very small” in the context of 72-108 annual deaths from other causes. The court was  "not satisfied" that the estimated impact of the development on whimbrel was

significant, and considered that the potential beneficial effects of the development's 'habitat management plan' could reasonably be

expected to provide "counterbalancing positive benefits". And even if the level of bird deaths remained, the level of impact was outweighed by the benefits of the project, for example in tackling climate change.

Full judgement available on the Supreme Court website here: https://www.supremecourt.uk/news/latest-judgments.html

Viking Energy chairman Alan Bryce said: 

“We are delighted the Supreme Court has endorsed the planning consent for Viking wind farm, granted in April 2012. We can now concentrate on developing what would be one of the world’s most productive wind farms, to generate renewable energy and significant income for the Shetland community.

“I would like to thank all who have supported us in reaching this positive outcome. Viking Energy looks forward to making progress during 2015.” 

Japanese consul general checks out Shetland renewables

The Japanese consul general for Scotland and northern England, Hajime Kitaoka, was in Shetland recently to learn about Viking Energy and other wind and tidal power projects on behalf of his government.

Japan is looking to develop wind and marine renewables on a large scale to reduce its reliance on imported fuels and nuclear power, which fell out of favour after the Fukushima power station disaster in 2011.

Mr Kitaoka toured Shetland Aerogenerators’ Burradale Wind Farm and the sites of the proposed Viking Wind Farm before visiting Cullivoe to hear about North Yell Development Council’s wind farm and tidal energy projects, the wind farm proposed by Energy Isles Limited in Unst and Yell and Aquatera’s proposed tidal power bridge across Bluemull Sound. Earlier he called along SIC vice-convener Cecil Smith at the Town Hall.

From left: Angus Ward of Shetland Aerogenerators talks turbines with Mr Kitaoka and Aaron Priest of Viking Energy.

Viking Energy response to Government consultation on island wind power

The UK government is proposing a further incentive for Scottish island wind power projects like the Viking Wind Farm because their success could cut costs for the renewables industry and help it diversify. In a consultation launched this week the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) says “considerable longer term benefits” could flow to the renewable energy sector from “new and innovative technologies” delivered by projects in Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles. Specific benefits pinpointed include: Knowledge gained from use of large-scale turbines onshore for the first time to generate maximum electricity from windy locations; [1] Expertise developed from using multi-terminal undersea high-voltage direct current cabling (HVDC) could cut costs for future electricity interconnectors, including links from offshore wind farms and across the EU; Infrastructure put in place to support future wave and tidal stream projects in the islands. DECC says island wind projects combine factors which make them “unique within the UK” with expected high transmission costs, high load factors from the abundant wind and the potential for large projects to “make a major contribution to the UK’s renewable generation targets in the immediate and the longer term”. The consultation document Electricity Market Reform: Allocation of Contracts for Difference states: “We propose to continue to treat wind generation on the Scottish islands as a new and innovative technology, distinct from onshore wind located elsewhere in the UK.” [2]  To help ensure projects like Viking Wind Farm go ahead, DECC proposes shielding island wind developers from direct competition for government support under the Contracts for Difference (CfD) regime, which will apply to new renewables projects coming onstream from 2017. More “established” technologies, like mainland-based wind farms and solar photovoltaic installations, will compete with each other for generation incentives. But DECC proposes that island developers sit in a separate technology grouping of their own or with “less established technologies”, such as offshore wind, wave and tidal stream power. The UK and Scottish governments have already agreed to tackle the extra costs and challenges of developing wind power in the Scottish islands by backing an enhanced island “strike price”. This would guarantee a payment of £115 per megawatt-hour (MWh) under the CfD regime. Commenting on DECC’s new consultation, Viking Energy development manager Aaron Priest said: “We are encouraged by the launch of this consultation which is extremely welcome for Viking Energy and other island renewable developers. It is increasingly clear that both the UK and Scottish governments are fully committed to getting the islands connected, paving the way for Shetland to reap the benefits that the Viking project will bring. “Another valuable part of that process took place in Shetland this week with a two-day visit from National Grid which had constructive talks with Viking Energy on the interconnector link to the Scottish mainland and visited the proposed wind farm site.” The full DECC consultation document can be read here.

Imminent appeal hearing on Viking Energy - legal update and Trump implications

A legal update from law firm Bond Dickinson on the Viking Energy planning situation, the recent decision on Donald Trump's appeal against the offshore wind farm near his Mennie golf development, and the looming Court of Session hearing of the Scottish Government's appeal against the Judicial Review on the Viking development. http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=bd73cd8f-4bcd-445c-a5b3-f34a011c83ff

February and March dates set for Viking Energy appeal

Dates have now been set for hearing the Scottish Government's appeal against Lady Clark's Judicial Review of the granting of planning permission for the Viking Energy windfarm. Three judges in the Inner House of the Court of Session will hear the appeal between 25 and 28 February and again from 4 to 7 March 2014.

Full story from Shetland News here: http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/7481-date-for-viking-wind-farm-appeal-set

Viking Energy windfarm planning permission: the legal situation

The judicial review of the Scottish government’s granting of planning permission for the Viking Energy windfarm development in Shetland, sought by local environmental protest group Sustainable Shetland, ruled last month that the permission should be withdrawn.

This was due, said Lady Clark in her judgement, to the fact that Schedule 9 in Section 36 of the Electricity Act Act 1989 required companies to obtain an electricity generating licence from Ofgem before applying to get consent for a project over 50MW. Viking Energy did not have this. She was also 'not satisfied' that the Scottish Government had complied with its obligations under the European 'Wild Birds Directive 2009'. 

The ruling  regarding the need for a generating licence has provoked major concern throughout the renewables industry and the legal profession regarding its possible impact on up to 32 previous permission granted to windfarm developments, none of which had generating licences.

The Scottish Government has  appealed Lady Clark’s decision. It is understood - although there is some disagreement on this - that this has the effect of setting the withdrawal of planning permission aside until the appeal process is concluded.

As this is an important issue for the future of renewable energy in Shetland, Power From The North here draws together a number of links to news stories, the full findings from Lady Clark, magazine articles and legal opinions on the decision and its implications.

Energy Live News 8 October 2013: ‘Shetland(s) ruling could deal blow to renewables in Scotland’ http://www.energylivenews.com/2013/10/08/shetlands-ruling-could-deal-blow-to-renewables-in-scotland/

Bond Dickinson (leading UK corporate law firm) 10 October 2013: ‘Court of Session Opinion departs from industry practice in Viking Energy decision’http://www.bonddickinson.com/insight/comment/court-session-opinion-departs-industry-practice-viking-energy-decision

Macroberts (Scottish legal firm) 7 October 2013: ‘Business will proceed as normal until outcome of appeal is known.’ http://www.macroberts.com/content/content_1998.html

Pinsent Masons (law firm) 26 September 2013: ‘Departure from industry practice’:http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2013/september/viking-energy-decision-on-legality-of-section-36-planning-consent-a-departure-from-industry-practice-says-expert/

Shetland News 24 September 2013: ‘Judge rules against Viking windfarm’http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/7387-judge-rules-against-viking-wind-farm

Shetland Times 24 September 2013: ‘Sustainable Shetland ‘pleased’ as judge rules on Viking windfarm: http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2013/09/24/sustainable-shetland-pleased-as-judge-rules-on-viking-wind-farm

Ecologist Magazine 11 October 2013: ‘Winds of Change’http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2105601/the_winds_of_change.html

Guardian, 3 October 2013: "Ministers do not agree that the application was incompetent under schedule 9 of the Electricity Act, nor do they agree that they failed to take proper account of their obligations under the EU wild birds directive in the decision-making process." http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/oct/03/shetland-windfarm-viking-project-setback

Full opinion by Lady Clark (133 pages): http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/opinions/2013CSOH158.html

Viking Energy welcomes Government pricing aid for isles electricity

The Government's announcement of a draft minimum price  of £115 per megawatt-hour for isles-generated renewable electricity is “a hugely positive step forwards”, according to Shetland windpower developer Viking Energy.

Full story from The Shetland News here.