Convoys begin on £566m Shetland wind farm project

CONVOYS are underway to deliver wind turbine components from Lerwick Port to the £566 million Viking Wind Farm site in central mainland Shetland.Vestas, which is supplying the 103 wind turbines which make up the wind farm, is responsible for safely managing the process of getting the components from their factories to Lerwick and then delivering them from there to the Viking site.The Viking Wind Farm development is a joint project between SSE Renewables, Shetland Islands Council, and Vestas. RJ McLeod is the main contractor, with works anticipated to be complete in 2024. Once complete, the development will be the largest onshore wind farm in the UK, with it being capable of powering the equivalent of 500,000 homes.Campbelltown-based specialist haulage company, McFadyen’s Transport Ltd, is contracted to deliver the components to site, with SSE Renewables anticipating the convoys – which carry four wind turbine components each – to conclude by July.SSE Renewables’ Aaron Priest, stakeholder manager for the Viking Wind Farm said,”Delivery of the first turbine components marks a significant milestone in the construction of Viking Wind Farm.“It’s great to see the first components arrive on site, we would like to thank all those involved in the delivery process, it was excellent co-ordination which ensured road users journeys were not significantly impacted.”