More than 250 convoys of Viking Energy components planned over six months
Andrew Hirst
Specialist police officers are being drafted in from the mainland to escort convoys of Viking Energy windfarm components to the construction site.
SSE Renewables and Vestas said the first convoys would start on Monday, 6th February, and run until the end of July.
They will operate three a day, six days a week, with the journey time between Lerwick Port to the Viking site in Central Shetland estimated at around an hour.
In total, there are expected to be 260-280 convoys, Vestas said.
Lead project manager Robert Yeates said: “To transport equipment of this size and weight requires specialist vehicles and expertise, so we have contracted McFadyen’s Transport Ltd, a specialist haulage company based in Scotland with several years’ experience of safely transporting wind turbine components, to carry out the work.
“Obviously safety is our paramount concern and with that in mind, I am pleased that the convoys will be escorted by specialist Police Scotland officers who are coming from the mainland. We’re looking forward to completing the transportation safely and with the minimum of disruption to Shetlanders and visitors alike.”
The first turbines are scheduled to be built by the end of March.
SSE Renewables’ Stakeholder Manager for the windfarm Aaron Priest, said: “The arrival of the turbine components is obviously a landmark milestone in the construction of the wind farm.
“With more than one thousand parts to be transported, it is no small task and we’re pleased to have support from Police Scotland and Shetland Islands Council for completing the task safely and with the minimum of disruption.
“We would like to thank everyone in the local community for their patience over the next few months and we will do everything we can to keep them informed and updated on the convoy movements.”
In total, 1,300 components are set to arrive in Shetland between now and the end of March.
Five cargo ships have already made deliveries to Greenhead Base, with the first arriving in December.
Each road convoy will carry up to four turbine components.
They will travel on weekdays from 6am-7am; 11am-noon and 1pm-2pm.
The Saturday schedules are 6am-7am; 10am-11am and noon-2pm.
The timings have been planned to ensure the convoys will be off the public highway by 8am and 3pm to avoid peak travel periods.
Ali Inkster
If as claimed these convoys were planned to cause minimum disruption to islanders they would be carried out at night.