The Viking Energy wind farm which represents a joint venture project between the Shetland island community and Scottish and Southern Energy plc. There were initially two projects with separate purposes which were put together to harness the synergies. The Shetland Island communities were looking to create a source of energy to make them more independent while the Scottish and Southern Energy plc side was looking to contribute more renewable energy power to the national grid of Scotland. The combined wind farm project looks to be on the scale of 600 MW.
Two experts acting on behalf of the Scottish Executive have calculated that Scotland as a whole could generate between 525 MW and 1,8000 MW from wave power with an additional 75 MW to 800 MW coming from tidal power. Scotland already caused quiet a stir with the announcement that they were implementing the Pelamnis wave power project which currently ranks as the largest worldwide. Wind continues to remain a powerful influence in Scotland with it being estimated that 25 percent of Europe’s wind energy being in Scotland.
The Shetland Islands represent the best opportunities for both water based forms of energy with between 75 to 400 MW from wave potential and 75 to 200 MW from tidal power potential.
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