Peter Johnson
Viking Energy appears set to press on with plans for its 103 turbine wind
farm in central Shetland with the company holding a consultation in Mareel
yesterday (20 November) on its plans for public access.
It appears though that Viking, now largely owned by energy giants SSE after
the Shetland Charitable Trust relinquished its stake in the wind farm, is
forging ahead with plans despite failing to win government subsidy, and
hopes to announce a principal contractor at some time in the “near future.”
It was announced at the end of May that the charitable trust had decided to
stop investing further into Viking Energy, thus giving SSE near complete
control of the project.
Prior to news that Viking Energy had failed to win a Contract for
Difference in the Westminster Government auction, the announcement of the
principal contractor had been expected this month.
The wind farm’s progression is also contingent on energy regulator Ofgem
approving a revised case for an interconnector cable, to be installed by
Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks that it previously rejected after
Viking’s CfD bid was knocked back.
Viking is required as part of its wind farm planning permission to consult
with the public on an access management plan, which will be a “live”
document and subject to revision as work progresses.
Company representatives up from the mainland declined to be quoted but
Viking Energy will be publishing information on the access management plan
on its website in the next few days.
Shetland News understands that the public right to roam will be respected
by the contractors during construction, though areas where actual work is
ongoing will be like any other construction site with the public kept out
for health and safety reasons.
When Shetland News attended around 5pm, there had been around 20 visitors
to the event, though numbers are understood to have picked up during the
evening.
On show were a number of photographs of gates and notices at operational
wind farms on the mainland where the public have access for walking,
mountain biking and other pursuits.
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