Nova Innovation to complete Shetland tidal array by April

Edinburgh-based tidal energy developer Nova Innovation plans to add the final tidal turbine to the Shetland tidal array by April 2017.

Nova Innovation has engaged a multicat vessel C-Odyssey from the Orkney-based marine renewables services provider Leask Marine to conduct offshore and subsea operations on a tidal energy array in the Bluemull Sound, Shetland.

The work will include the installation of subsea cables and turbine, with the expected date of completion set by April 2017, according to the Kingfisher Information Service – Offshore Renewable & Cable Awareness project (KIS-ORCA).

This will be the third and final Nova Innovation’s M100 tidal turbine to be added to the first phase of the Shetland tidal array. The first two turbines in the array will be removed for maintenance purposes, and returned to the site afterwards. Each turbine has the capacity of 100kW.

The first device was installed at the site in March 2016, while the second turbine was added the same year in August. Both turbines are connected and producing power to the grid.