A community-owned tidal turbine which is claimed to be the first in the world is expected to be installed off the coast of the Shetland Islands early in 2013, according to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond.
SeaGen Tidal Turbine
Nova Innovations is the company that will supply this 30-kw hydroelectric generator. This is relatively small compared to other power plants, but this industry is still in its infancy. The tidal turbine will be connected to an electricity grid and is intended to power a local ice plant and industrial estate.
This project has been under development for three years and has received the assistance of the Community Energy Scotland and Shetland Islands Council.
Alex Salmond said:
“Scotland is leading the way in the development of marine renewables, and [the] announcement that the world’s first community-owned turbine is to be manufactured and deployed on these shores is a truly fantastic endorsement of our burgeoning renewables sector.”
Last year, the Crown Estate granted a lease to use the seabed between Yell and Unst, which paves the way for more of these generators to be installed in 2013 and 2014 to create the proposed half-megawatt (500-kW) Shetland tidal array.
Simon Forrest, the director of Nova Innovation, said that the plans would help to accelerate the growth of the business and “significantly advance” the marine energy industry in Scotland.
“We see significant potential for tidal arrays for other communities across Scotland,” he added.
Source: BusinessGreen
Photo Credit: Fundy on Wikipedia
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