Shetland engineers keep the turbines turning

Shetland is famous for being windy ­– the gustiest county in the UK, according to the Met Office.

So it is no surprise that the islands are at the heart of a renewable energy revolution with several major wind farms imminent or in the advanced planning stages. Those projects are part of ambitious plans to develop Shetland as a clean energy hub, helping Scotland and the UK to meet carbon reduction targets.

But the notion of harnessing the wind’s power is nothing new.

It is more than 20 years since the Burradale Wind Farm, operated by Shetland Aerogenerators, started feeding into the local grid.

And there is plenty of scope for the five turbines, on the hills overlooking the spectacular Tingwall valley, to continue generating power. Engineers have been busy this summer, working on maintenance projects including replacing the turbine blades.

David Thomson is a director at Shetland Aerogenerators which operates the Burradale Wind Farm. He said: “Like any operation we’ve got constant minor maintenance happening and in the summer months we undertake big projects.

“This year we’ve got several planned including complete blade replacements and a couple of main shaft replacements.”

Given the size of the blades, replacing them involves a well-drilled team.

David added: “For a project like this there are usually seven people on site covering the skills we need from turbine engineers to crane drivers to manual help.

“We use local firms where we can.”

Reconditioning

The “new” blades themselves are reconditioned, having already generated power elsewhere before being shipped to Shetland to power homes and businesses in Shetland.

Those removed from Burradale will be sent away for reconditioning and should be put back into use somewhere else.

As well as installing new blades, Shetland Aerogenerators has replaced the main shaft in one of the turbines this summer.

That involves lifting the whole hub – including shaft and three blades – from the nacelle in one operation. That way there is one “big lift” rather than four “still-big-but-not-quite-as-big” lifts.

Either way, it is a skilled operation with specialists overseeing the operation that also involves crane drivers, engineers working at the top of the tower and a ground crew.

The Burradale turbines stand 43m tall with 23m blades, making it conspicuous work but David explains that it is routine windfarm maintenance.

He is keen to point out that much more of that kind of work will be needed over the coming years.

Shetland is on the cusp of a renewables revolution with the under-construction Viking Energy project in the Central Mainland the biggest of several set to be built in the coming years.

Meanwhile, ambitious plans are being developed by the Orion project – a partnership between Shetland Islands Council, the Oil and Gas Technology Centre and Strathclyde University.

It envisages a future where Shetland harnesses the natural resources of onshore and offshore wind and tidal energy, to help power a clean energy revolution.

Orion, which is still in its early stages, hopes to electrify offshore oil and gas installations and repurpose existing infrastructure in Shetland to create green hydrogen.

While much of Orion’s focus is using offshore projects, consented onshore windfarms will play an important role, too.

Global contribution

Burradale is touted as one of the world’s most productive windfarms – producing an average 52 per cent capacity factor, compared with a UK 27.8 per cent average.

David believes that performance shows that Shetland’s wind energy has the potential to make a big contribution on both a local and global scale.

The prospect of more renewables is not universally popular.

There are critics who have resisted moves to see onshore windfarms developed in the isles. Meanwhile, proponents argue that the developments are environmentally sound and position Shetland as a key player while the nation transitions to net zero.

What is certain is that some windfarms are coming, attracting significant investment along the way. Once operational they will need maintenance, requiring a new skilled workforce.

Viking Energy is set to employ around 140 people during construction and says it will create 35 permanent jobs once operational.

Other major projects are also in the pipeline including those proposed by Peel Energy at Mossy Hill near Lerwick and Beaw Field in Yell and the Energy Isles scheme, also in Yell.

It all points to a future that will see Shetland making a significant contribution to meeting the Scottish and UK net zero targets, creating scores of skilled jobs in the process.

Shetland College and the NAFC Marine Centre offer engineering courses which could help prepare you for a future career working in renewables.

If you’d like to find out more about life and careers in the isles visit Shetland.org and sign up to the Living and Working newsletter.