Illustrative 3D image of the proposal looking South East
To enable the consented Mossy Hill Wind Farm to connect to the Kergord-Gremista transmission line currently under construction by SSE Transmission, we are seeking planning permission for a new substation within the wind farm site.
The substation development is to replace two smaller buildings that were consented as part of the Mossy Hill Wind Farm approval for 12 turbines. The substation would be the same for the proposed redesigned 8 turbine wind farm. It will connect to the national grid using underground cables.
The substation will comprise of two main buildings, the larger one for SSENT and the smaller one for Statkraft. The SSENT building will contain electrical switchgear to allow the wind farm to connect underground into one of the Kergord to Gremista cables that run through the wind farm site, adjacent to the A970 road. The Statkraft building will contain a transformer to step-up the voltage from 33kV to 132kV. There will also be two smaller buildings and some ancillary plant within the fenced area of the substation.
The new substation is required to connect the consented Mossy Hill Wind Farm into new electricity grid infrastructure that SSENT are installing through the site, from Kergord to Gremista. The Kergord to Gremista cables form a key part of the new electricity network in Shetland and will allow customers to be supplied directly from the Scottish Mainland via the new subsea cable. The newsubstation will therefore include electrical switchgear and associated protection equipment to ensure both supplies to customers and the wind farm operate reliably.
Following our first exhibition in May we have listened to the feedback we received and have been working on the location and design of the buildings. We have also carried out further site surveys and assessments to help inform our revised proposals.
We have been working in collaboration with SSENT to ensure the design takes into account the site conditions and constraints. Within the area initially identified a number of locations were considered and technical and environmental constraints applied to arrive at the proposed location. Access will remain as per the consented wind farm via the junction off the A970 to the North (for abnormal construction loads) or off Ladies Drive (for normal construction loads and operations) to the East. A new access is proposed off Ladies Drive specifically to service the Statkraft substation area.
You can find our more about our proposals, including details of our environmental and visual assessments in our exhibition presentation.