A new green power project planned for the waters off Shetland could be an “important milestone” in making tidal power commercially available.
Nova Innovation proposes to install a 15 megawatt tidal energy array, that could provide enough electricity to power more than a third of households on the islands.
The development, which is planned for the Yell Sound between the islands of Yell and Bigga, will be the firm’s largest tidal energy project to date, and comes after the company was awarded an option agreement from the Crown Estate.
Nova chief executive Simon Forrest said the new project put Shetland “at the forefront of the green energy revolution”.
Nova has already installed the world’s first offshore tidal array in the neighbouring Bluemull Sound, with the Shetland Tidal Array there producing green electricity since 2016.
Mr Forrest said: “Building on Shetland’s success with the world’s first offshore tidal array in Bluemull Sound, we are delighted to be working with local partners to deliver another world-leading project.”
He stated: “Having been at the centre of the oil and gas industry for 50 years, Shetland is now at the forefront of the green energy revolution, and we are excited to play our part in decarbonising the Shetland Islands.”
Energy Secretary Michael Matheson welcomed the development, saying: “This agreement between Nova Innovation and Crown Estate Scotland marks another important milestone in commercialising tidal energy in Scotland, putting Shetland at the heart of this exciting technology and its capability to deliver secure and reliable clean energy to support our climate targets.
“With our abundant natural resources and expertise, Scotland is ideally placed to harness the global market for marine energy whilst helping deliver a net-zero economy both here and across the world.”
Sian Wilson, head of emerging technology at Crown Estate Scotland, said: “We’re pleased to support the marine energy sector, and efforts by island communities such as the Shetland Islands to decarbonise their energy systems.
“It’s important for Scotland to have a diverse renewable energy supply to deliver on the country’s net zero ambitions in the coming decades and predictable tidal power at scale will play a valuable part in achieving that goal.”
Don't miss the latest headlines with our twice-daily newsletter - sign up here for free.
