Viking wind farm: Shocking footage shows turbulent river of peat as landslide strikes near giant Shetland wind farm

Workers were forced to down tools for their own safety after the earth moved at a remote site in Shetland

A sudden landslide has halted construction work on a major electricity network upgrade in Shetland.

The dramatic incident was captured in a video posted on YouTube, showing a roiling river of peat sweeping down a hillside close to the new 103-turbine Viking wind farm, which is not yet operational.

The earth slip occurred at Upper Kergord, north of the capital Lerwick, where SSEN Transmission is working on a grid connection project that will tie into its new £660 million high-voltage facility for exporting power from Shetland.

Despite its proximity to the wind farm, the transmission project is not directly associated with the 443MW Viking scheme, which is being developed by sister firm SSE Renewables.

The network company said no personnel were injured at the scene, but operations have been suspended while investigations are carried out.

A spokesperson for SSEN Transmission said: “On Tuesday afternoon our site team reported a peat slip in an area of hillside between Upper Kergord and the B9075, where work on our Kergord to Gremista Connection Project is taking place.

“All site teams are safe and there were no injuries, however as a safety precaution all site work has been stood down and the area secured until it has been fully assessed and made safe.

“A full assessment of the area will take place to understand the extent of any damage to the hillside.”

It said there were no risks to road users, with the B9075 open as usual.

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Exceptional rainfall and disturbance of ground by human activity is known to trigger peat landslides.

This aerial shot shows the aftermath of the peat slide, which halted work on a major electricity network upgrade project in Shetland that will allow increasing renewable energy to be connected to the grid and power exported to the rest of the UK

There have been previous incidents on Shetland, including near the construction site.

It’s not yet known how the latest occurence will affect the local landscape, which includes a large expanse of blanket bog.

Healthy peatlands are important in the fight against climate change due to their ability to lock up carbon.

In a degraded state, however, the habitat can actually release emissions into the atmosphere, driving warming.

SSEN Transmission’s Kergord to Gremista connection project involves creating a 14-mile link between the new Gremista Grid Supply Point and Kergord Substation, which is currently under construction as part of the Shetland HVDC link, using a combination of overhead lines and underground cables.

High-voltage direct current technology offers the most efficient means of transmitting large amounts of power over long distances, supporting and improving the sustainability and efficiency of power supply systems.

Once complete, the Kergord-Gremista link will provide a connection to Shetland’s local electricity distribution network, joining the islands to the UK energy system for the first time via subsea cabling.

The final 155m-tall turbine was installed last August at the Viking wind farm, which will generate enough renewable energy to supply around half a million homes.

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The project, a joint venture between SSE Renewables and community company Viking Energy Shetland, is situated in an area of extensive blanket bog – some of which is in poor condition.

The developers have committed to restoring more than 260 hectares of the habitat and safeguarding areas from further erosion as part of the project, with management continuing throughout the wind farm’s projected 25-year lifespan.

Both schemes are expected to begin operation this summer.