Energy / Underground cabling work to connect oil terminal to start in spring next year
SULLOM Voe Terminal (SVT) is set to be connected to the national grid – which in the local context means mainly to the Viking wind farm – for the first time ever by the end of 2026 or early in 2027.
A well-attended information event hosted by SSEN Distribution at the Brae Hotel on Tuesday provided some more clarity on the three-year project that will see two 43-kilometre long underground cables being laid between the Gremista grid supply point – currently under construction in Lerwick – and the oil terminal.
The two cable solution, mainly paid for by terminal operator EnQuest and its partners, will give SVT security of supply once the on-site power plant is switched off.
The power plant, operated by Equans under a special Industrial Emission directive (IED) derogation, will need to be shut down by 31 December next year.
In order to be able to continue operation of the power plant – Shetland’s largest single polluter – until the grid connection has been constructed, terminal operator EnQuest will need to request a further derogation from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
A spokesperson for SEPA confirmed that the government agency has had “initial discussions with the operator concerning a potential delay in achieving the (…) deadline, linked to rationalisation works and introduction of a new stabilisation facility at the wider SVT Terminal”.
SEPA added that it has not had any formal application or notification from EnQuest yet.
Photo: Hans J Marter/Shetland News
While this latest cabling works programme is triggered by the terminal’s plans to decarbonise the large industrial site, the project – to be known as the North Shetland Reinforcement Project – will also make power supply to the north of the isles more reliable.
The underground cable will not replace the overhead trunk line, but it is designed to add resilience to the network should overhead lines fail as they have done in poor weather conditions.
SSEN’s design and consent manager Nicky Hufstetler said the project has been designed to meet the electricity demands expected for 2050. Construction is expected to get underway early in 2025, initially parallel to the A968 over a distance of 12 kilometres between Voe and Firth, which will involve a nine-month rolling programme of works with around 500 metres done at a time.
For the remaining distance between Gremista and Voe, SSEN Distribution is planning to install the two cables using a cable plough – a trenchless technology that uses specialist technology to lay cables underground with minimal ground damage.
Hufstetler said for this section of the route the two cables, covered with a specially developed wrapping, would be laid 15 and 20 metres parallel to the A970, with a final design depending on agreements with landowners.
He added that using cable ploughing technology would save time and money.
A further information event is being held today (Wednesday) in the Lerwick Town hall between 12pm and 7pm.
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