A wind farm in the Shetlands has received close to £2.5 million to reduce its power output in its first month of operation, according to new figures.
The Viking wind farm, the largest onshore wind farm in the UK, officially began operations on Thursday.
The wind farm is run by SSE, which had promoted it as Britain’s most productive onshore wind farm.
However, data from the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF) indicates that 62% of its energy output has been curtailed since it opened.
The National Grid has paid the wind farm £2.48 million so far this month to limit its production, with daily payments ranging from £227,192 to £8,408.
These costs will eventually be reflected in consumer energy bills.
Dr John Constable, Director of the REF, said: “The paradoxical outcome is that wind farm developers actually make more money when they are paid to reduce output rather than when they are selling normally on the market.”
An SSE spokesperson told Energy Live News: “If the UK wants to boost energy security, we need to invest at pace in unlocking our vast clean energy resources.
“SSE alone is investing more than £20 billion by 2027 in renewables and electricity grids that will deliver homegrown clean energy to millions of homes and businesses and reduce the UK’s dependence on expensive imported fossil fuels.”
