UK most productive onshore wind farm Begins Generating Power
The Viking Wind Farm in Shetland has produced its first power, marking a significant milestone for what will soon become the UK’s most productive onshore wind farm. This development follows the installation of the final turbine at the 443MW facility.
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The achievement coincides with the nearing completion of the Shetland High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) subsea cable project by SSEN Transmission. This 260km cable, set to be fully energized later this summer, will connect Shetland to the GB electricity transmission grid for the first time.
As part of the final commissioning phase, engineers are working to bring the wind farm to full operational capacity. Once complete, the Viking Wind Farm is expected to generate enough electricity to power nearly half a million homes annually.
Construction of the wind farm began in autumn 2020, with the last of over 100 turbines installed in August 2023. Heather Donald, SSE Renewables’ Onshore Renewables Development and Construction Director, praised the milestone as a significant step towards sustainable power for Shetland, Scotland, and the UK. John Scott, SSEN Transmission’s Programme Director, highlighted the importance of the HVDC link for Shetland’s energy security and future renewable energy projects.
Once fully operational, the 103 Vestas turbines will operate at 4.3MW each, totaling 443MW of wind-powered capacity. This will make the Viking Wind Farm the UK’s leading onshore wind farm in terms of annual electricity output, projected to generate approximately 1.8TWh of renewable electricity each year.
Additionally, work continues to connect Shetland’s existing electricity distribution network to the new Grid Supply Point at Gremista, expected to be completed by 2025. Both the Viking Wind Farm and the Shetland HVDC project remain on track for completion later this summer.
