Energy

50% of Shetland’s electricity is currently supplied by the diesel-fired Lerwick Power Station, 30% by the gas-fired Sullom Voe Terminal Power Station and around 20% small independent and community based renewable generators.  In 2023/24 there was 176,768,700 kilowatt hours of electricity generated through these sources, which was distributed through 1,677.3km of overhead lines and underground cables.

Shetland also has 1 district heating scheme supplying 1,281 properties in Lerwick with around 40,000 megawatt hours per year.

In 2023 there was a total of 436,132 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions from the facilities supplying Shetland's electricity needs and district heating scheme.

The mean domestic consumption for Shetland in 2023 was 8,344 kWh per household.  This was the highest in the UK, with the Scottish average 3,429 and the UK average 3,449 kWh per household.  

With the 103 turbine Viking windfarm becoming operational on 1st September 2024, the installed capacity of renewables in Shetland rose by 443,000 Kilowatts, to 456,110.  As smaller scale renewable systems are not recorded centrally, the total installed capacity in the isles will be a little higher than this.

In 2023, there were a total of 244 licensed plug in vehicles registered in Shetland.

The number of public electric vehicle charging points in Shetland in 2024/25 was 33. 

Shetland Islands Council set up a Climate change Programme in 2020, find more about the work being done here.