Tidal company Nova Innovation has been awarded an option agreement from Crown Estate Scotland to develop a 15MW tidal array at Yell Sound in Shetland.
The project is the company’s largest tidal energy array to date and is predicted to meet over a third of household electricity demand in Shetland.
The turbines will be manufactured at Nova’s facility in Edinburgh.
Simon Forrest, CEO of Nova Innovation, said: “Having been at the centre of the oil and gas industry for 50 years, Shetland is now at the forefront of the green energy revolution, and we are excited to play our part in decarbonising the Shetland Islands.
“Building on Shetland’s success with the world’s first offshore tidal array in Bluemull Sound, we are delighted to be working with local partners to deliver another world-leading project.”
Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, added: “This agreement between Nova Innovation and Crown Estate Scotland marks another important milestone in commercialising tidal energy in Scotland, putting Shetland at the heart of this exciting technology and its capability to deliver secure and reliable clean energy to support our climate targets.
“With our abundant natural resources and expertise, Scotland is ideally placed to harness the global market for marine energy whilst helping deliver a net-zero economy both here and across the world.”