Jan 8, 2026
SSE received £10 million for wind power that was not utilized.
SSE earned close to £10 million in constraint payments for unused wind energy produced in Scotland, primarily from its Viking wind farm.
Last year, over one million MWh of energy generated by the Viking turbines went unused, making it the top onshore development in Scotland for wasted energy.
In contrast, the Dorenell wind farm in Moray, the second-worst performer, wasted only 290,062 MWh, resulting in a difference of 810,676 MWh.
SSE received £9,631,696 in constraint payments due to wasted energy and the shutdown of turbines at its 103-turbine Viking site located in central Shetland.
These payments are made to energy companies when they must lower their output because the National Grid cannot utilize the energy.
Since becoming operational in August 2023, SSE has now received £19 million for unused energy at the Viking wind farm.
In comparison, the company contributes £2.2 million annually to community benefits for Shetland, highlighting a growing disparity that has faced increasing criticism.
£660k paid for one week
Data from the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF) over the past year has revealed the extent of unused energy and the payments SSE received for the Viking project.
On 10 different days in 2025, SSE was compensated over £100,000 for electricity that could not be used at the Viking wind farm.
During one week alone, the company received £667,412 when 62,372 MWh of energy went unused between October 4 and 10.
Out of the 3,947,783 MWh of energy wasted by Scotland's onshore wind farms in 2025, 27% came from Viking.
A total of 1,100,738 MWh, or 1.1 terawatt-hours, was generated by Viking but went unused in 2025.
SSE Renewables has consistently stated that the National Energy System Operator, rather than SSE or any other company, is responsible for decisions regarding how much energy to constrain.
Last year, over one million MWh of energy generated by the Viking turbines went unused, making it the top onshore development in Scotland for wasted energy.
In contrast, the Dorenell wind farm in Moray, the second-worst performer, wasted only 290,062 MWh, resulting in a difference of 810,676 MWh.
SSE received £9,631,696 in constraint payments due to wasted energy and the shutdown of turbines at its 103-turbine Viking site located in central Shetland.
These payments are made to energy companies when they must lower their output because the National Grid cannot utilize the energy.
Since becoming operational in August 2023, SSE has now received £19 million for unused energy at the Viking wind farm.
In comparison, the company contributes £2.2 million annually to community benefits for Shetland, highlighting a growing disparity that has faced increasing criticism.
£660k paid for one week
Data from the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF) over the past year has revealed the extent of unused energy and the payments SSE received for the Viking project.
On 10 different days in 2025, SSE was compensated over £100,000 for electricity that could not be used at the Viking wind farm.
During one week alone, the company received £667,412 when 62,372 MWh of energy went unused between October 4 and 10.
Out of the 3,947,783 MWh of energy wasted by Scotland's onshore wind farms in 2025, 27% came from Viking.
A total of 1,100,738 MWh, or 1.1 terawatt-hours, was generated by Viking but went unused in 2025.
SSE Renewables has consistently stated that the National Energy System Operator, rather than SSE or any other company, is responsible for decisions regarding how much energy to constrain.