Scottish cleantech company Nova Innovation has successfully integrated its tidal energy array with Tesla battery storage, delivering what it has described as the world’s first grid-connected ‘baseload’ tidal power station.
Since the start of October, the grid has been supplied by Nova’s Tidal Energy Storage System (TESS) demonstrator, which integrates Nova Innovation’s Shetland Tidal Array with Tesla ’s battery technology to provide clean power ‘on demand’.
“By storing the clean energy generated by the natural ebb and flow of the tide, we can control the supply of electricity to the grid to match demand. This creates a consistent source of completely predictable power from a clean, sustainable resource,” explained Simon Forrest, CEO at Nova Innovation. “Nova’s expertise in smart grid control, renewable generation and energy storage has delivered this game-changing innovation. We now look forward to expanding our services to other markets and renewable projects.”
The Nova Innovation project has secured funding totalling £272,606 from the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme. The programme, supported by the European Regional Development Fund, is accelerating the development and delivery of low-carbon infrastructure projects across Scotland.
Scotland's Energy Minister, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “This project will utilise both renewable tidal technology and battery storage from one of the World’s pioneers of battery storage, Tesla, to overcome the challenges of current grid constraints and to enable the improved, uninterrupted, provision of low carbon energy not only in Shetland but in other small island communities across Scotland. Crucially, however, by undertaking this work in Scotland, we can also play a key role in helping inform the sustainable decarbonisation of energy for communities across the World.”
