The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
SSE gives green light for Shetland wind farm
PERTH: SSE plans to invest £7 billion over the next five years on low-carbon projects
Perth-based energy firm SSE Renewables has given the green light to a £580m onshore wind farm in Shetland.
The announcement on Viking Onshore Wind Farm on Shetland follows financial close of the Seagreen offshore wind farm earlier this month.
Seagreen, 27km off the coast of Angus, is a £3 billion joint venture with Total and will be the largest in Scotland when built.
Together the projects will create around 800 new jobs, with a major boost to Montrose where Seagreen’s maintenance and operations base will be located.
SSE said it will invest more than £7 billion – £4m every single day for the next five years – in major low-carbon construction projects to support net zero and spur a green economic recovery.
SSE chief executive Alistair Phillipsdavies said: “It’s easy to talk about a green recovery, but we’re putting our money where our mouth is with £7bn of low-carbon infrastructure projects that can deliver a win-win for climate and economy.
“The investment plans we’ve set out today underline our intentions as a British business providing a boost to the economy and we want to work with government to make the green recovery and delivery of net zero a reality. The world is facing twin crises with the economic impact of coronavirus and the climate emergency and the only route forward is to unlock investment.
“Plenty of businesses talk a good game on climate action, but we’re serious. That’s why we will hold ourselves to account with new sciencebased emissions reduction targets, independently verified and underpinned by evidence.”
SSE also plans to undertake a £2.4bn upgrade of electricity transmission lines.
In England, it is continuing to move ahead with plans to build the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank, off the coast of Yorkshire which will create more than 1,000 construction jobs at the peak.
Under the new series of carbon targets SSE aims to reduce its direct emissions by 60% by 2030 from 2018 levels, stretching its previous 50% target. It has also committed to working with its supply chain on setting targets to cut emissions.