Scottish energy firm to lead €20m tidal power development

Five-year project designed to improve technology in sector

A Scottish marine energy firm is to extend its tidal turbine demonstration project after securing a multi-millioneuro grant.

The Enabling Future Arrays in Tidal (EnFAIT) scheme will build on Nova Innovation’s existing power station in Bluemull Sound off Shetland to six turbines.

The layout of the turbines will be adjusted to enable array interactions and optimisation to be studied at an operational tidal energy site for the first time.

When energised, Bluemull was the world’s first grid-connected offshore array of tidal energy turbines.

Simon Forrest, Nova’s chief executive, said: “The project will make a major contribution to reducing the lifetime costs of tidal energy, and will boost investor confidence by providing hard-edged analytics of commercial and operational performance to inform investment decisions.

“Being able to provide evidence of our technology delivered and working in real grid-connected conditions was crucial to our winning the EnFAIT project.

“Our cost-control and cost-reduction planning were equally decisive.

“We are looking forward to achieving further world-class results, working

The project will make a major contribution to reducing the lifetime costs of tidal energy ... simon ForrEsT novA innovATion ChiEF ExECuTivE

with our consortium partners.”

The five-year research project has been awarded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

It is seen as a flagship initiative for the EU in the marine energy sphere, and aims to increase the commercial viability of tidal power.

Total project costs are expected to be €20.2m, to which the EU Horizon 2020 Programme will contribute €14.9m.

Sarah Beattie-Smith of WWF Scotland welcomed the grant award.

“With some of the most powerful tides in Europe, Scotland is well placed to lead in developing this promising technology, which will help to cut climate emissions and create green jobs right across the country,” she said.

“We hope the kind of innovation and investment shown in this major new project inspires politicians and others to give backing to ground-breaking ideas in other areas of energy use like heat and transport, to power Scotland towards its target of generating half of all Scotland’s energy needs from renewables by 2030.”