Scotland injects $2.8m into tidal energy
Tidal energy company Nova Innovation has been awarded £2m ($2.8m) by the Scottish Government to advance tidal turbine manufacturing to a global level.
The funding, delivered through Scottish Enterprise, is directed at Nova’s VOLT (Volume Manufacturing and Logistics for Tidal Energy) project. It aims to develop the first European assembly line to mass manufacture tidal turbines and test new techniques and tools to ship, deploy and monitor turbines around the world.
The Edinburgh-based developer said the project will also examine how to improve turbine performance, logistics for mass manufacture, and develop new techniques to ensure cost-effective delivery of tidal turbines.
Simon Forrest, CEO of Nova Innovation, said: “This support is significant and very welcome as it sees Nova and the wider sector shift onto an industrial footing. It is an endorsement of Nova’s global ambition to transform the power of our seas into clean, predictable energy, empowering coastal communities all around the world.”
The VOLT project will run from 2021 to 2023.
Nova’s tidal turbines have been powering the Shetland grid for more than five years and will soon be deployed in North America and mainland Europe.
This ties in nicely with EMEC in Orkney.