The world's first community-owned tidal power turbine has started exporting electricity to the local grid, the Scottish Government has announced.
The Nova Innovation turbine will power up to 30 homes, a locally owned ice plant and Cullivoe Harbour Industrial Estate on North Yell, Shetland.
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The 30KW turbine sits on the seabed in the Bluemull Sound at a depth of over 100ft and consists of a propeller that is spun by the power of the tide as it flows past. The rotating propeller drives a generator that produces electricity, which is transmitted onshore through a 1km subsea cable.
The project, developed by Leith-based tidal energy company Nova Innovation in partnership with North Yell Development Council, has been funded by the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), Shetland Islands Council and North Yell Development Council.
In Aberdeen, attending the All-Energy Conference, the Scottish Government's Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said: "For the first time, anywhere in the world, a community owned tidal turbine is generating electricity. It will have a positive impact on the North Yell community and economy.
"Scotland is recognised as world leader in wave and tidal energy, with a quarter of Europe's tidal stream and a tenth of its wave-energy potential.
"We must tackle climate change and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels through better and more efficient uses of energy. That is why Scotland generated a record amount of electricity from green energy sources last year."
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Tidal Turbine via Shutterstock