News / In brief for 2 June 2010
Power cut
AROUND 9,000 buildings lost power in Shetland on Monday night after a fault developed on the 33,000 volt overhead line between the power stations at Sullom Voe oil terminal and Lerwick.
The blackout started just before 8pm and affected people in Lerwick and the south and west mainland. Power resumed within the hour for most people, with the last home being reconnected at 10.15pm.
A Scottish & Southern Energy spokeswoman apologised on behalf of the company, saying it had been “a technical hitch at the generation stage”.
Schiehallion shut down
BP’s west of Shetland floating oil production vessel Schiehallion was shut down for its annual routine maintenance programme at the weekend and will be off-stream until the middle of August, a BP spokesman said.
Meanwhile the shuttle tanker Loch Rannoch is on her way to the Gulf of Mexico to assist in the increasingly desperate attempts to control the oil spill there.
The spokesman added there was no timetable set for when the Loch Rannoch would be back in Shetland waters, but the company had other vessels at its disposal to carry out the transport of oil from Schiehallion to Sullom Voe oil terminal.
Parliamentary applause
THE SCOTTISH Parliament is applauding the organisers of the record breaking Shetland Relay for Life fund raising event in support of Cancer Research UK.
Some £160,000 was raised in the largest event of its kind ever, held in Lerwick at the weekend.
Shetland MSP Tavish Scott has now tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament recording the success of the event and applauding the work of the organising committee, ably led by Olive MacLeod.
MSPs are invited to sign the motion which salutes “the Shetland community for its tremendous spirit of togetherness”.
New network
AROUND 40 people from about 25 local firms turned up to the first meeting of the Shetland New Business Network at Shetland museum last week.
The network offers people new to business a chance to discuss common issues such as support facilities, professional advice and best practice, with the plan to hold meetings every three months.
David Nicol of NB Communication, Martin Watt of Bon Accord Accountancy and Andy Maxtone from Business Mentoring Scotland all spoke at the event.
Co-organiser Jeff Gaskell said: “The meeting went very well and a lot of learning came out of it and we will be developing the service in the future.”
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