1/3 of Shetland household electricity demand to be met with new Nova tidal array

The Scottish clean energy company has won a seabed lease to develop its largest marine facility to date. 

Nova Innovation has been awarded a new Option Agreement from Crown Estate Scotland to develop a 15MW tidal array at Yell Sound, between the Shetland islands of Yell and Bigga. 

The new facility is located close to Bluemull Sound, where the firm built the world’s first offshore tidal array, which began operating in 2016. It is hoped  around one third of Shetland’s entire domestic electricity demand will now be met by the second site. 

Construction itself will also take environmental concerns into account, with local companies and manufacturers used for much of the build, including blades, steel structures, support services and vessels. Meanwhile, with finished turbines sitting on the seabed, the natural beauty of the surrounding area will remain intact. 

‘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. 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,’ said Simon Forrest, CEO at Nova Innovation. 

‘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,’ added Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy. ‘With our abundant natural resources and expertise, Scotland is ideally placed to harness the global market for marine energy.’

In related news, last month it was announced the Scottish islands are to receive £600,000 in additional government funding for sustainability projects. 

Image credit: Maggie Lentz