Nova tidal energy project receives European backing
A European consortium, led by Edinburgh-based tidal energy firm Nova Innovation, has secured €4.4 million (£3.8m) in funding to help towards commercialising technology designed to significantly cut the costs of generating energy from the sea.
The funding from the European Commission will pay for the construction and testing of a device to convert the mechanical power in a tidal turbine rotor into electricity that is exported into the grid.
Partners in the project, which will run for 36 months, include Siemens, the University of Edinburgh, Wood Group and SgurrEnergy.
Simon Forrest, managing director of Nova Innovation, said: “This will be a major step forward for the global sector and significantly drive down the lifetime cost of tidal energy.”
Last month Nova deployed a third turbine at a tidal array in Bluemull Sound, Shetland, the world’s first grid-connected offshore tidal array.