The Shetland Islands, known as the windiest part of the UK, have been connected to the Great Britain electricity grid for the first time.
This milestone comes with the completion of two major projects: the Viking Wind Farm, now the UK’s most productive onshore wind farm, and a 260-kilometre subsea transmission link to transport electricity to the mainland.
The Viking Wind Farm, featuring 103 turbines, is set to generate enough renewable energy to power approximately 500,000 homes annually.
Together with the subsea transmission link, these projects represent over £1 billion in investment from SSE Renewables and SSEN Transmission, part of a broader £20.5 billion commitment by the SSE Group to boost the UK’s clean energy infrastructure by 2027.
During peak construction, the projects supported around 650 jobs and contributed £125 million to the local economy.
The Viking Wind Farm alone will support 35 permanent roles and is expected to contribute more than £70 million to the Shetland community over its lifetime.
Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, highlighted the importance of these developments, stating, “The completion of these projects is a significant step in unlocking the green energy potential of the Shetland islands.”
Alistair Phillips-Davies, Chief Executive of SSE, noted: “Shetland and the wider North Sea have long supported the country’s energy security, and now they are playing a significant role in decarbonising our power system.”
