Shetland gas plant shut down over steam release - BBC.com

Shetland gas plant shut down over steam release
The Shetland Gas Plant has been shut down after a release of steam. Operator Total says part of the heating system on the site failed and staff were called to muster. Nobody was hurt in the incident and an investigation is under way. The plant, next to the Sullom Voe Oil Terminal, takes in gas from fields to the north-west of Shetland. The facility processes the gas before it is piped to the Scottish mainland. A spokesperson for Shetland Gas said: "Earlier today an element of the heating medium system at Shetland Gas Plant failed, resulting in a release of steam. "Personnel were called to muster and everyone has been accounted for. Thankfully everyone is safe and well. To help us investigate the situation, we have shut down the plant." The facility processes gas from the Laggan and Tormore fields, before it is piped to mainland Scotland. When it opened in 2016 Total said the plant was capable of providing about 8% of the UK's gas needs, supplying the equivalent of around two million homes. The plant cost £3.5bn to build and at the time it was the biggest construction project in the UK since the London Olympics.