On 6 February 2023, the first convoys of Vestas wind turbine components left Lerwick Port, for the Viking Wind Farm site, in the Shetland Islands of Scotland, statistically the windiest place in the UK.

This onshore wind farm, under development by ​​SSE Renewables (SSER) and Shetland Islands City Council, is scheduled to be completed next year. Vestas will supply SSE Renewables with 103 V117-4.2 MW turbines in 4.3 MW Power Optimised Mode. The Danish manufacturer is also responsible for the transport of the components from factory to site.

The first Vestas wind turbine components arrived in Lerwick Port from Taranto Port in Italy, aboard the general cargo vessel BBC Lagos. The first convoy was handled by the Campbeltown-based haulage company, McFadyen’s Transport, and was escorted by local police. According to SSER, there will be up to three convoys a day, with the travel time of each convoy being approximately one hour. They will be timed to minimise traffic disruption, and are expected to conclude in July.

The project should provide enough electricity to meet the needs of up to 475,098 homes while saving half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. When connected to the United Kingdom’s (UK) national energy grid in 2024, it will be the UK’s largest and most productive onshore wind farm in terms of annual electricity output. The next project milestone is scheduled for April of this year when the first of the 103 turbines are scheduled to be completed.