Energy / Questions over community benefit and turbines at first public event for Neshion Energy Park
THE COMPANY behind a proposed 10 turbine energy park near Sullom Voe Terminal say they believe it is an “appropriate place” to build the project.
Ten turbines, each stretching 200m high, and a 25MW battery energy storage system are being planned for the Neshion Energy Park site in the North Mainland.
Neshion Ltd, a local joint venture headed by Shetland Aerogenerators, is leading the development.
The public were given their first glimpse of the project at a public meeting yesterday (Thursday) in Mossbank, which showed the turbines could be seen from the Toft ferry terminal.
Concerns had been raised in the lead-up to the event about how the community will benefit from the project, and about the prospect of more mainland wind turbines near to homes in the area.
And some had questioned whether the turbines would be too close to homes in Mossbank and Sullom.
Neshion development manager Brendan Hall said they felt this was a suitable place for the energy park to go.
“We do think this is an appropriate site, we’re next to an industrial site,” he said.
The company was seeking the views from the public on a number of issues at Thursday’s meeting, including on what level of community benefit they would be looking for.
Hall said a number of people had mentioned the high price of their energy bills when asking what the project could do for them.
“That’s certainly a lot of the conversations we’ve been having,” he told Shetland News.
“We’re open to all possibilities.
“We’ve used the tagline – in Shetland, for Shetland, by Shetland. Whatever that means for the community, we want to work so that can happen.”
A community fund, similar to one offered by Viking, apprenticeships/scholarships and electricity discounts were three options mooted by Neshion.
The 10 turbines proposed by Neshion would be 200m tall, which is taller than that 155m turbines that Viking Energy use.
Hall said it was unlikely that Neshion will look to expand the number of turbines at the site, with the next phase of development likely to move beyond wind power.
“Ten turbines is probably the most this site can take,” he said.
Asked why the turbines needed to be larger than those seen in Shetland already, Hall said it was a “fairly standard size” for turbines used at onshore windfarms.
“Bigger machines means more output, which is a key consideration for any energy park,” he added.
The North Mainland site – covering around 630 hectares – is located to the east of Sullom Voe Terminal, which could be transformed in the coming years for new energy developments such as hydrogen production and carbon capture.
Also close by is proposed hydrogen production in the Scatsta area, which is being led by Statkraft, and the potential for a district heating scheme in Brae.
Neshion has not said what developments its energy park could power, but Hall admitted they had an interest in those projects listed.
“We’re keeping all of our options open,” he said. “But obviously, there are some potential customers in the area.
“At the end of the day, we’re looking for what is the best fit for Shetland.
“Shetland is right in the heart of this energy transition. There’s a lot of potential in the islands.”
Thursday’s public meeting is just the first step on the route to the Neshion energy park, which could be up and running by 2030.
Hall stressed that was the “soonest it could happen”, and said they would take onboard all of the feedback received yesterday before more public consultations later in the year.
“There’s been a really good turnout, and a lot of questions about the extent of the development,” he said.
“We’re only at the very early stages at the moment.
“As far as possible we’d like to do this with the community. We want to co-design it with people in the area.”
Hall said wind and battery power would just form the first phase of the development, with the potential for “different technologies on the site”.
“There may be scope for other things to happen in and around the development,” he said.
“There’s scope for other things to be happening in the area.”
A second public engagement event is being planned for August 2025, with a planning application possibly being submitted at the end of the year.
If approved, construction could then take place between 2028 and 2030.
The estimated lifespan of the energy park is 40 years.
Folk attending Thursday’s consultation were asked to fill out a survey about the plans, which people can respond to here.
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